Advocacy
(Un)heard Voices: Domestic Violence in the Asian American Community (pdf)
This publication is based on the results of a focus group with Asian immigrant women and Asian American women from different backgrounds. Various questions and issues are addressed such as identifying victims and perpetrators, prevalence of domestic violence in Asian communities, barriers confronting Asian women and more. The report also gives recommendations to service providers and a national list of organizations committed to serving battered Asian women.
52 Days of Domestic Violence Flu in America (pdf)
In this article, the author highlights that in the midst of public health concerns such as the swine flu, domestic violence is another pandemic that often goes unnoticed with majority of the fatalities involving men as the perpetrators of violence against women and children. The article concludes with a list of victims and their killers and serves as a reminder that domestic violence has been, and continues to be a concern for all to address.
"This paper examines the process Vermont used, including areas of both agreement and uncertainty, and introduces the protocol to a wider audience of interveners. It draws on a review of planning notes and other documents and a series of interviews with those who participated in shaping the process and the protocol. It provides a starting point for other communities to explore their own response to children at domestic violence incidents, as well as an approach that can be used to examine other aspects of intervention."
A Comparison of Domestic Violence Advocacy Models (pdf)
This document contains a chart comparing domestic violence advocacy models and serves as a reference for effective advocacy for Latinas.
A Development Approach to Working with Teen Victims (pdf)
This issue brief discusses the need for service providers to understand adolescent development in order to effectively provide interventions for teen victims of abuse.
A High-Tech Twist on Abuse: Technology, Intimate Partner Stalking, and Advocacy
This Violence Against Women Online Resources commissioned document summarizes the existing knowledge on the use of technology to stalk. The author uses both published literature and contributions provided by numerous survivors’ reports to provide current information on the variety of sophisticated tools that are being used to stalk current and former intimate partners. The article also provides specific strategies for advocates, including safety planning information, a resource list, and a handout for survivors.
A Practical Guide to Evaluating Domestic Violence Coordinating Councils (pdf)
The goal of this manual is to make evaluation a little easier by providing some practical strategies for evaluating the work of your council.
Adaptation Guidelines for Serving Latino Children and Families Affected by Trauma (pdf)
"This document was created by experts in the fields of child trauma research, clinical practice, policy and cultural diversity to serve as a resource for anyone who works with Latino families who have experienced traumatic events. There are 12 priority areas covered ranging from micro issues (assessment and provision of therapy) to macro issues (organizational competence and policy). Each one includes an overview of the priority area, recommendations for improving practice based on that priority area, and additional resources for further information. Portions of these guidelines are geared for advocates and therapists, while other priority areas are designed for program administrators and policy makers."
Additional Scripts for Clinic Assessment (pdf)
This document is created for healthcare professionals and provides a series of scripted questions and responses when working with victims of violence. The information is intended to help communicate all the information needed to give to a patient as well as responding to immediate safety issues and making referrals.
Addressing Gender-based Violence: UNFPA Strategy and Framework for Action (pdf)
This report, grounded in UNFPA's overarching goal of eliminating violence against women and girls, identifies particular areas where action is most urgently needed and proposes general policy frameworks for combating gender-based violence.
Advocacy Beyond Leaving: Helping Battered Women in Contact With Current or Former Partners (pdf)
A guide for domestic violence advocates providing information on improving outreach and responses to domestic violence victims who are in contact with their partners or children’s fathers. This guide addresses how to identify safety strategies, find resources and to know what to say when a victim’s focus and goals are to remain in contact, remain in the relationship or to improve their children’s relationship with their father.
Advocacy Challenges in a CCR: Protecting Confidentiality While Promoting a Coordinated Response (pdf)
This article examines the conflict advocates face between the victims’ need for confidentiality and the broader need for collaboration in a CCR, and explores how an advocacy program balances these two seemingly competing interests. This article provides helpful insight into how an advocacy program remain an effective partner within a CCR while still protecting the confidentiality of the battered women it serves.
Advocacy in a Coordinated Community Response: Overview and Highlights of Three Programs
This article gives an overview of advocacy - namely individual advocacy and systems advocacy and describes them as an integral part of community response. It also stresses the importance of each type of advocacy working collectively in enabling battered women to overcome obstacles.
Advocates Serve a Distinct and Different Role Than Paralegal Prosecution Staff
A report about the differences between advocates and paralegals and how each role affects the justice system.
Advocating for Domestic Violence Victims Who Have Been Arrested for Domestic Violence
This article examines the impact of increasing arrest rates of women in domestic violence investigations and offers advocates information on how to assist victims that have been arrested.
The handbook consisits of various practical forms which were developed by advocates to evaluate criminal justice services for women in cases of rape, domestic violence and child abuse. It also has theoretical chapters on understanding how criminal justice systems can help and harm women.
An Advocate's Guide to Full Faith and Credit
This guide was developed for advocates who assist victims of domestic violence with orders for protection. It provides a glossary of full faith and credit terminology, advocate tips, and information about enforcement of full faith and credit legislation.
This report is about Minnesota's shelters for battered women and their children. Shelters include residential facilities and a network of hotels, motels, and safe homes used by shelter providers. Residential shelters offer, at a minimum, security, lodging, and meals, and are available 24 hours per day. Shelter staff and volunteers also advocate for battered women and offer a variety of services to help women escape abuse and move on to a better life. Although shelters are independent, nonprofit entities, they receive most of their financial support from the state.
Assessing Social Risks of Battered Women (pdf)
This document explores the concept of safety planning. Specifically that effective risk assessment must take into account the diverse social factors of a battered woman’s life that impact her choices and decisions, especially regarding her experiences of battering.
The third website installment profiles 13 communities that have undertaken efforts to reduce and prevent violence against women. The communities have developed a coordinated criminal justice response while maintaining a focus on victim safety and offender accountability.
Assisting Immigrant and Refugee Women Abused by Ther Sponsors: A Guide for Service Providers (pdf)
This guide is written for social service providers in Canada who deal with immigrant and refugee women who are abused by their visa sponsors under the family sponsorship program.
Balancing Obligations: Serving Teen Victims and Mandated Reporting of Statutory Rape (pdf)
This issue brief addresses the importance of preserving confidentiality while working with teen victims of abuse, at the same time fulfilling the service provider's legal duties.
Breaking the Silence: A Training Manual for Activists, Advocates, and Latina Organizers (pdf)
"A guide for domestic violence service providers, activists, counselors and others focused on advancing the rights of battered immigrant women. Based on the FVPF's successful pilot project, the manual provides essential details on how to start organizing and maintaining a group of activists and counselors. This guide is also available in Spanish."
Breaking the Silence: A Training Manual for Activists, Advocates, and Latina Organizers (Spanish) (pdf)
"The first ever guide for domestic violence service providers, activists, counselors and others focused on advancing the rights of battered immigrant women. Based on the FVPF's successful pilot project, the manual provides essential details on how to start organizing and maintaining a group of activists and counselors. This guide is also available in English."
This document presents ideas, concepts, and strategies to encourage community-based domestic violence advocates and their law enforcement allies to consider new approaches to partnership and problem-solving.
Building Bridges Between Domestic Violence Organizations and Child Protective Services
This paper provides both background information and a framework for collaboration with child protection agencies that will support the work of domestic violence advocates as they try to improve safety for women and their children.
Contents Include: Barriers Facing Immigrant Victims of Violence against Women; Effective Strategies for Reaching & Serving Immigrant Victims of Violence against Women; Promising Models for Reaching & Serving Immigrant Victims of Violence against Women. The .pdf file size is very large.
Building Capacity in Child Welfare Systems: Domestic Violence Specialized Positions (pdf)
"The report seeks to assist policymakers and practitioners in developing specialist positions that are tailored to the circumstances of their communities and states. We offer observations about initial expectations for these positions and the evolution of the positions over time. We also set forth composite examples of each of the major types of specialized positions and lay out the components of each, including responsibilities, auspices and settings, competencies, and funding sources. By doing so, we highlight different approaches to improving understanding 2 of domestic violence and strengthening the likelihood of achieving safety for non-offending parents and their children."
Building Domestic Violence Health Care Responses: A Promising Practices Report (pdf)
"A new report that documents dramatic improvements in the health system’s response to domestic violence at Indian, Tribal and Urban health care facilities across the United States. It offers a series of recommendations to continue the progress and ensure that many more American Indian/Alaska Native domestic violence victims get the help that they need when they seek medical care at clinics and hospitals."
Building Opportunities for Battered Women's Safety and Self-Sufficiency
Practice paper from a series of papers for an initiative to provide technical assistance to state administrators and domestic violence advocates implementing the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (PRWORA) in TANF and child support enforcement (CSE) contexts. This initiative is a partnership between the National Resource Center on Domestic Violence (NRC) and the Administration for Children and Families, DHHS. This paper, Practice Paper #1, includes background information about domestic violence and the options battered women need to be safe and self-sufficient, and concise discussions of key implementation issues.
In May of 2011 The Center for Financial Security, the U.S. Department of the Treasury, and the Social Security Administration hosted the workshop "Exploring the Intersection Between Financial Literacy and Domestic Violence".
This article is an issue brief for one of the six presentations from the workshop. This particular article speaks to the critical need for practitioners to bring the interrelated areas of economic and emotional abuse, economic literacy, and wealth or asset building to the forefront of their direct, policy, and research practice agendas.
The other presentation briefs are linked in MINCAVA as well, but to quickly access all six, you may also go to http://cfs.wisc.edu/events/DV_Workshop.aspx.
This manual provides suggestions and guidance on how to organize projects at improving services and eliminating barriers for ensuring safety for battered rural immigrant women.
California Batterer Intervention Systems Study
This study on batterer intervention programs in the state of California encompasses 5 counties, 53 batterer intervention programs that provide client data, and over 1,000 men enrolled in those programs. The study found that the individual characteristics of the offenders, and not the program they were enrolled in nor the features of the specific court they were sentenced in, were the strongest predictors of outcomes.
Casa de Esperanza: Mobilizing Latinas and Latino Communities to End Domestic Violence
This issue of the BCS newsletter features the strengths-based, community engagement approach of Casa de Esperanza, of St. Paul, MN. The main article describes their work of mobilizing Latinas and Latino communities to end domestic violence. Lessons learned are highlighted.
This article explains the importance of coordingating system change activities in child welfare agencies with many collaborative activities."
November 1997. This paper is meant to serve as a working document rather than the "last word," and it will be subject to revision as child welfare and domestic violence agencies on the vanguard of creating partnerships learn more about the link between child abuse and domestic violence, and how to best protect both children and their abused mothers. While the suggested practices and policies are by no means exhaustive, it is hoped that setting them out will save agencies from having to "reinvent the wheel," and will, at the same time, motivate them to add additional "spokes."
November 1997. This paper is meant to serve as a working document rather than the "last word," and it will be subject to revision as child welfare and domestic violence agencies on the vanguard of creating partnerships learn more about the link between child abuse and domestic violence, and how to best protect both children and their abused mothers. While the suggested practices and policies are by no means exhaustive, it is hoped that setting them out will save agencies from having to "reinvent the wheel," and will, at the same time, motivate them to add additional "spokes."
"Child and Family Service Reviews (CFSRs) evaluate public child welfare systems to determine how well they achieve safety, permanency, and well-being in difficult situations of neglect, physical and sexual abuse, and co-existing domestic violence, substance abuse, mental health issues, poverty, and community violence. This guide can help stakeholders develop effective (Program Improvement Plans) PIPs for achieving safety, permanency, and well-being in domestic violence cases, and to identify or anticipate related technical assistance needs."
Chinese Lifetime Spiral of Gender Violence (pdf)
"Chinese translation of the Lifetime Spiral of Gender Violence. The spiral implicitly locates a range of abuses in the lives of girls and women, revealing patterns of victimization and perpetration. The Lifetime Spiral is designed to be used by everyone to identify histories of violence in their own lives or in the lives of family and friends."
Collaborating to Help Trafficking Survivors: Emerging Issues and Practice Pointers (pdf)
"This manual is for those committed to assisting trafficking survivors, especially sexual assault and domestic violence advocates and their allies in the criminal and legal systems who have basic knowledge of the trafficking assistance process. This manual examines issues and promising practices that have emerged during the six years since the federal government decided in 2000 to devote significant attention to trafficking and its victims."
This article explains the importance of collaborative efforts to responding to families experiencing domestic violence and child maltreatment. The Greenbook Initiative provided a framework for developing a multisystem collaborative approach to working with families.
Community Engagement Curriculum Guide (pdf)
This training curriculum is based on a report from the API Institute on Domestic Violence titled "The Community Engagement Continuum: Outreach, Mobilization, Organizing and Accountability to Address Violence Against Women in Asian & Pacific Islander Communities".
"This is a client-centered tool for civil attorneys new to representing victims of domestic and dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking to provide comprehensive representation and advocacy for their clients."
Confidentiality & Information Sharing (pdf)
This document addresses the legal and confidentiality issues advocates face when working with the child protection system and juvenile courts. It also encourages advocacy, and focuses on the information issues advocates face when they counsel battered mothers whose children have been placed in the child protection system. Advocates need to know what to do with the information they gather from victims of domestic violence and what the laws say about how they use that information. Each section offers tips and suggestions for advocates, questions for their consideration, and examples of effective practices. The appendix features worksheets that expand upon the topics addressed in each section.
Confidentiality: An Advocates Guide (pdf)
Confidentiality and privilege are key to keeping battered women safe and represent the cornerstones of all successful advocacy and shelter programs. This guide is intended to familiarize advocates with a variety of laws, policies, requirements, and best practices on the topic of confidentiality .
Conflict Resolution Tools for Domestic Violence Shelter Staff
"This special collection includes selected materials and resources intended to equip advocates with a contextual framework and practical skills to better resolve conflicts that often arise within a shelter environment."
Connecting the Dots: Children’s Exposure to Violence and Home Visiting Programs
The goal of this article, which is part of the Spring 2011 issue of Family Violence Prevention Fund's e-Journal: Family Violence Prevention and Health Practice, is to raise awareness and provide practical suggestions to bridge the disconnect between home visiting programs and addressing the needs of children exposed to domestic violence and their families.
"The goal of this initiative was to increase community capacity to assist dually victimized families. This article focuses on the DV service organizations in the demonstration with regard to collaborations with other agencies and work within the DV system to respond to dually victimized families."
Covering Domestic Violence: A Guide for Journalists and Other Media Professionals
The information in this guide will help link journalists to domestic violence advocates in their community, who can be utilized as sources to improve coverage. By accurately covering domestic violence homicides and avoiding sources and questions that perpetuate myths, journalists can make a significant difference in helping the community understand how domestic violence can go unchecked to the point of murder.
Criminal Prosecution of Domestic Violence
This article identifies appropriate goals to be pursued in woman battering and the special challenges these cases present to prosecutors. It offers guidelines for improving collaboration between prosecutors and advocates.
This publication provides information about the use of cross-system dialogue to facilitate communication among representatives working in the domestic violence, child welfare, and court system. Strategies for professionals responding to family violence and child maltreatment are also provided.
Culture Handbook (pdf)
"This handbook is designed to be used by advocates and professionals who work with those who are victims of domestic and sexual violence. It provides some basic information on how to understand culture and begin the process of challenging oneself to become more aware of the ways in which culture impacts our work and the lives of those who are victims."
Domestic Violence Advocates and the Unauthorized Practice of Law (pdf)
This document is intended for both volunteer and paid staff of nongovernmental domestic violence programs who work directly with victims of domestic violence currently engaged in one or more legal matters related to their battering. This document is intended to highlight the possible issues for advocates and provide suggestions for better advocacy practice; it is not intended as, and should not be construed as, the provision of legal advice in any capacity.
Domestic Violence and Faith Based Communities: Focus on African American Communities
"We know that domestic violence crosses all racial lines and that the root causes are sexism and the acceptance of violence against women in society. However, the dynamics of and contributors to domestic violence are culturally specific. This forum highlights some of the common, complex and culturally specific contributors to violence against African American women. It addresses the role of faith as a resource and a roadblock and offer concrete ways in which faith communities can respond to and support abused women and their children in the African American Community. Hosted by: Aleese Moore-Orbih"
This paper is part of series of paper that addresses the way to mobilize community and programatic resources to provide responsive help to children and families affected both by domestic violence and poverty. This particular paper provides recommendations to family support staff and administrator to address issue of domestic violence.
Domestic Violence and Health Care
"This special collection on health care and domestic violence draws heavily from the work of the Family Violence Prevention Fund's Health Resource Center. The resources included in this special collection are organized into the following five areas: 1) the impact of domestic violence on health; 2) public health approaches to domestic violence prevention; 3) guidelines and issues concerning identification and intervention by health care providers; 4) information about collaboration between health care providers and domestic violence advocates; and 5) training. This special collection also includes a bibliography of related journal articles."
Domestic Violence and the Gay Community: A Right to Peace and Safety
An article on the myths and realities about domestic violence in the LGBT community. Also included is a list of resources for LGBT victims of domestic violence.
Domestic Violence Awareness Project: 2010 Resource Packet
The Domestic Violence Awareness Project strives to develop and distribute resources and ideas relevant to Domestic Violence Awareness Month and educational activities that take place throughout the year. The 2010 packet includes a collection of informational materials, fact sheets, articles, and order forms for items available from the various organizations represented on the Project Advisory Group, as well as other national, statewide, and culturally specific organizations. The packet is available on their website to download free of charge.
Domestic Violence Civil Protection Orders (CPOs) By State (pdf)
A chart that lists domestic violence civil protection orders (CPOs) by state.
Domestic Violence Counts 2008: A 24-hour census of domestic violence shelters and services
This report is the most recent data documenting the number of individuals who seek services in a 24 hour period, the types of services requested, the number of service requests that went unmet because of lack of resources, and the issues and barriers that domestic violence programs are facing as they strive tirelessly to provide services to victims of domestic violence. Also contains a state by state report on services requested and provided.
Domestic Violence Counts 2009: A 24-Hour Census of Domestic Violence Shelters and Services
"A one-day report, documenting the number of adults and children seeking domestic violence services in the U.S., the types of services requested, the number of service requests that went unmet because of lack of resources, and the issues and barriers that domestic violence programs are facing as they strive to provide services to victims of domestic violence. Also provides a state by state summary of services requested and provided. "
This 2008 report contains data documenting the number of individuals who seek services in a 24 hour period, the types of services requested, the number of service requests that went unmet because of lack of resources, and the issues and barriers that domestic violence programs are facing as they strive tirelessly to provide services to victims of domestic violence. Also contains a state by state report on services requested and provided.
Domestic Violence in Vietnamese Communities (pdf)
A fact sheet that provides statistics on domestic violence in Vietnamese communities, a selection of translated materials for victims and service providers, as well as directories for international resources.
Domestic Violence Materials in Asian & Pacific Islander Languages (pdf)
A list of websites and weblinks containing domestic violence related resources in various Asian and Pacific Islander languages.
Domestic Violence Programs and Children's Records: Issues of Confidentiality and Release (pdf)
Preserving confidentiality for battered women and their children is central to ensuring their safety and allowing them to regain and retain control over their lives. The vital services of a shelter or domestic violence program mean nothing if anyone can access their records, putting battered women and their children in danger of being located. This paper endeavors to provide guidance to domestic violence programs regarding children's records and to serve as a starting place for internal policy development on this issue.
Eliminating Barriers to Services for Latina/o Survivors of Sexual and Intimate Partner Violence (pdf)
This is the position statement by Latino advocates to address barriers to services for Latina/o survivors of sexual and intimate partner violence
Eliminating Violence against Children (pdf)
"Jointly produced by UNICEF and the Inter-Parliamentary Union, this handbook describes measures parliamentarians can take to end violence against children: they can legislate, oversee government activities, allocate financial resources and, as leaders in their nations and communities, raise awareness of issues."
Employment and Domestic Violence
"This special collection includes a categorized and selected listing of articles, bibliographies, fact sheets, laws and court action, papers, regulations, reports and surveys relating to domestic violence and employment. It is offered as an additional tool to assist advocates working on and interested in employment issues related to ending violence against women. "
Employment Rights for Victims of Domestic Violence
This site contains a wealth of information for survivors, employers, and attorneys/advocates on employment rights for survivors of domestic violence. Included are resources, reference guides, guides to state laws, and model employment policy amongst many other helpful articles.
Engaging Boys and Men in Gender Transformation: The Group Education Manual (pdf)
"This manual offers trainers an array of participatory experiential exercises to reach men (and their partners), exploring gender socialization and its impact on HIV prevention and care. Piloted in Ethiopia, Namibia, South Africa and Tanzania, the manual is designed to assist trainers in developing curricula to work with men and boys on gender, HIV and AIDS issues."
The goal of this manual is to expand the definition of what is "enough" when it comes to domestic violence advocacy, so that all domestic violence services are as accessible as possible to all persons regardless to disability.
Evaluating Coordinated Community Responses to Domestic Violence
This VAWnet report presents a summary and analysis of research on coordinated community responses to domestic violence. It provides an overview of different mechanisms for coordination, examines the individual components of a coordinated community response, and addresses the overall response. The focus here will be on the justice system, advocacy and programs for abusers.
Evaluations of Advocacy Efforts to End Intimate Male Violence Against Women
This VAWnet paper describes the available research that has evaluated advocacy efforts to end intimate violence against women. The first section describes evaluation of Community Intervention Projects, while the second section presents a longitudinal and experimental evaluation of an advocacy intervention.
This report provides the most recent statistics on Washington state domestic violence fatalities; findings and recommendations from the reviewed cases of the past two years; and tips for utilizing the Fatality Review reports to mobilize change in your community.
This paper was originally delivered as a talk at the Violence Institute of New Jersey, June 21, 2000. This paper discusses the links between the abuse of women and the maltreatment of their children and the connection between domestic violence and poverty.
Facts & Stats: Domestic Violence in Asian, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Homes (pdf)
"Facts & Stats raises awareness about the experiences of Asian, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander battered women; counters denial about the problem; emphasizes the need for socio-culturally effective prevention and intervention; and serves to guide future research and inform public policy."
Facts About Intimate Partner Strangulation (pdf)
A recent fact sheet created by the Minnesota Coalition for Battered Women as part of a statewide training for law enforcement officers, prosecutors, and advocates titled the Anatomy of Strangulation.
Family Team Conferences in Domestic Violence Cases: Guidelines for Practice (2nd Edition) (pdf)
These guidelines lay out steps to decide whether a family with a history of domestic violence is a good candidate for a Family Team Conference, and to prepare and conduct a conference that results in the best possible child welfare decision and safety for all. Case scenarios offer examples of different circumstances involving domestic violence and describe how an FTC, if planned and structured properly, can safely address case goals.
Family Violence Death Review Committee First Annual Report (pdf)
The Family Violence Death Review Committee's overarching goal is to contribute to the prevention of family violence and family violence deaths in New Zealand. The report outlines the objectives and achievements for the first year as well as goals and recommendations for the following year.
This paper explores factors contributing to successful collaborations between practitioners and researchers studying the impact of adult domestic violence and the effectiveness of services aimed at stopping it. The paper identifies potential challenges to research partnerships and, through interviews with the researchers and practitioners from four successful collaborations, highlights strategies for effectively navigating these challenges. It concludes by arguing that collaborative partnerships between science and practice communities strengthen the process of scientific inquiry and program development.
Form for Evaluating Police Response to Domestic Violence: For Use by Victims and Advocates
This form was put together for use by domestic violence victims and their advocates. It's
designed to assist in evaluating the police
response and the police report on domestic
violence calls. The form should help identify
problems in police response so that these problems can be corrected. It can
also be used provide feedback to the
police department and to the community on how
well police are responding to domestic violence
cases.
This form is also availabe in PDF format http://www.justicewomen.com/police_evaluation.pdf
This form is also available in Spanish at http://www.justicewomen.com/help_police_evaluation_sp.html (HTML version) and http://www.justicewomen.com/police_evaluation_sp.pdf (PDF version).
Fuerza Unida: A Manual For Engaging Communities
"This attractive, user-friendly manual is a guide to understanding and working with Latino families experiencing domestic violence. Written primarily for government workers, nonprofit staff members, and other professionals working with Latino clients, it will benefit anyone seeking to relate effectively to our growing Latino communities."
Girls Count: A Global Investment & Action Agenda
"This report describes why and how to initiate effective investments that will give adolescent girls in developing countries a full and equal chance for rewarding lives and livelihoods."
Good practices in legislation on violence against women (pdf)
This report comes from an expert group meeting organized by the United Nations Division for the Advancement of Women and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. The purpose of the expert group meeting was to analyze different legislative approaches for addressing violence against women; assess lessons learned and identify good practices in regard to legal reforms on violence against women; and develop a model framework for legislation on violence against women. The outcome of the meeting is intended to assist States and other stakeholders in enhancing existing, and developing new, legislation on violence against women.
The guidelines describe model policies, practices, programs, and protocols that address the multiple needs of families and children affected by domestic violence and child maltreatment. They are based on recommendations contained in the Greenbook and on the thoughtful recommendations provided by public child welfare agency directors, domestic violence advocates, child advocates, and legal representatives.
Handbook for legislation on violence against women (Russian) (pdf)
"A Russian translation of the 2009 Handbook for legislation on violence against women, a report of the expert group meeting organized by the United Nations Division for the Advancement of Women and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. The group studied different legislative approaches to violence against women and developed this handbook for legislation based upon best practices and lessons learned. The handbook also includes commentary on legislation on violence against women in a number of countries."
A new report from the National Coalition for the Homeless (NCH) contains case descriptions of each attack that includes sexual assault. The report notes that because crimes committed against homeless persons often go unreported, the actual numbers of non-lethal attacks is likely much higher. Rapes and sexual assaults also tend to go unreported. The report recommends that state legislatures add homeless persons as a “protected class” to hate crime legislation, and encourages police trainings so law enforcement officers will better understand homelessness and how to prevent hate crimes.
It profiles promising programs that address domestic violence at community health care organizations. This document is designed to encourage primary health care providers to treat domestic violence among their client base and to engage providers, administrators, policymakers and others in a coordinated, community-wide response to domestic violence.
This 76-page resource is written for service providers assisting women who have survived woman abuse. Material addresses the needs of abused women as mothers, how abusive men parent, how abusive men affect family dynamics, effects of power and control tactics on mothers, the potential impact of woman abuse on children of different ages, and strategies used by young people to cope with violence in their homes. Guidance on parenting children who have lived with violence is also offered. Forty-four pages are designed as handouts for women, to be distributed as an adjunct to individual or group interventions on woman abuse or on parenting.
Helping Culturally Diverse Victims of Interpersonal Violence: Avoiding Stereotypes & Meetings Needs
"This forum discusses the need to take people's culture into account when providing them with services for interpersonal violence and avoiding the trap of treating people in a cookie-cutter way, based on stereotypes about their culture. This forum is hosted by Lisa Aronson Fontes, PhD. Lisa is a Core Faculty Member in Union Institute & University's Psy.D. Program in Clinical Psychology and has dedicated almost 20 years to making the social service and mental health systems more responsive to culturally diverse people."
Helping Young Children Affected by Domestic Violence: The Role of Pediatric Health Settiings (pdf)
This paper is part of series of paper that addresses the way to mobilize community and programatic resources to provide responsive help to children and families affected both by domestic violence and poverty. This particular paper addresses importance of pediatric health care and mental health care in addressing domestic violence.
Here's Where We Start (pdf)
This booklet informs men of the extent of sexual and domestic violence and provides them with concrete ideas on how they can become part of the solution for ending these crimes. It outlines steps men can take to change the social norms that support sexual and domestic assaults.
In this article, which is part of the Spring 2011 issue of Family Violence Prevention Fund's e-Journal: Family Violence Prevention and Health Practice, Dr. Megan Bair-Merritt provides an overview of what we know about the impact of home visiting programs on IPV. She begins by describing how intimate partner violence (IPV) affects children’s heath, and includes the latest research on home visitation interventions to address IPV. The article concludes with five recommendations for translating research into policy and best practices.
"This paper offers a research on DV and homelessness and trends in federal housing policy. A model for conducting a community assessment of local housing needs includes critical thinking questions on an organization’s capacity for housing advocacy."
Housing and Battered Women: A Case Study of Domestic Violence Programs in Iowa
The purpose of this paper is to increase the domestic violence advocacy communitys knowledge about housing issues, federal housing programs, and strategies to comprehensively address battered women's needs for housing.
Housing and Battered Women: Increasing Battered Women's Access to Federal Housing Programs
This paper encourages advocates to collaborate in an effort to support proposed federal housing regulations that begin to address some of the housing needs of battered women and to submit comments to the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to support those sections of the proposed regulations that could give battered women faster access to housing.
This paper provides domestic violence advocates with information and strategies to promote the use of this housing program as a resource to assist battered women moving from welfare to work.
This paper is a first-hand account of Missouri’s project to reduce rules in domestic violence shelters.
How to obtain U Interim Relief: A Brief Manual for Advocates Assisting Immigrant Victims of Crime (pdf)
This manual provides U Visa information for advocates who assist victims of crime, including domestic violence. The author outlines the definition, requirements, and application process for U Visa Interim relief and also offers information on obtaining permanent residency and derivative status for family members.
How to Write a Letter to the Judge for Victims of Rape, Domestic Violence and Child Abuse
Gives information that should help you write a more effective letter. Provides four examples of different kinds of letters you as a victim or victim advocate, may want to write to the judge in the criminal case. Also available in Spanish.
Immigration Relief for Crime Victims: The U Visa Manual (pdf)
"This manual aims to provide guidance to lawyers on issues that arise in the context of representing U visa applicants. It is designed for practitioners who are familiar with basic immigration terms and legal concepts."
Impact: Feature Issue on Violence Against Women with Developmental or Other Disabilities
Examines how disability service providers, sexual and domestic violence programs, law enforcement, researchers, and women with disabilities can work together to respond to a major civil rights, quality of life, and health issue for women with disabilities - the presence of violence in their lives.
"This Trainer's Manual was developed to help health care providers and domestic violence advocates meet the challenge of training clinicians and other staff within the busy clinic or hospital setting. The Manual provides step-by-step instructions for teaching each section of the Resource Manual including the basics of domestic violence, clinical skills, legal issues, community resources, and role play scenarios. It also includes a special module on cultural diversity."
Information about Murder-Suicides (pdf)
A fact sheet created by the Minnesota Coalition for Battered Women as part of a statewide training for law enforcement officers, prosecutors, and advocates titled the Anatomy of Strangulation.
This report addresses API domestic violence intervention strategies within the U.S. as both accommodations and alternatives to mainstream domestic violence programs. They have adopted mainstream assumptions and approaches. And, they have crafted innovations based upon necessity and, in some cases, vision and intentionality. Emerging themes as discussed by the API women interviewed in this report highlight a number of areas which capture our attention for further exploration. While the findings of this report bring up broad, diverse and, at times, contradictory policies and practices among API programs, existing models, themes and interventions for the future programs are examined.
Innovative Strategies to Provide Housing for Battered Women
This paper highlights how eight domestic violence organizations are responding to the housing needs of battered women in their communities.
Integrating Anti-Poverty Work into Domestic Violence Advocacy: Iowa's Experience (pdf)
This document describes how the Iowa Coalition Against Domestic Violence (ICADV) approached integrating economic advocacy into its work in order to better respond to the financial concerns of battered women and their families. Domestic violence programs in Iowa incorporated this work into their services by training advocates, developing new collaborative partnerships, and providing economic advocacy to battered women at three pilot sites. In addition, the ICADV secured funding to support its commitment to the institutionalization of economic advocacy in 2001.
Interpersonal Violence and Women With Disabilities: A Research Update
"This article provides an update on what researchers have learned during the past ten years about abuse and women with disabilities and offers some perspectives on the state of current research and its implications for future studies and advocacy efforts."
"This document describes intimate partner violence (IPV) in immigrant and refugee communities in the United States. The report contains four main sections: background information on the incidence of the problem among immigrant and refugee communities, an overview of the needs and challenges of immigrant and refugee IPV victims and service providers, recommendations for funders, service providers and policy-makers, and lastly a discussion of IPV research and evaluation issues to be addressed in immigrant and refugee communities."
Justice and Safety for All: Promoting Dialogue Between Public Defenders and Victim Advocates (pdf)
This document explores the relationship between the lawyers who defend individuals charged with domestic violence and the advocates who work for the rights and needs of victims of domestic violence. Because defenders and advocates often serve the same families, improving their relationship is part of providing just and safe resolutions in domestic violence cases. Filled with the voices of a handful of defenders and advocates talking about each other and their work, Justice and Safety for All is written to help other advocates and defenders begin their own conversations.
A film accompanies this publication. "In Their Own Words" is a 15-minute documentary that explores public defenders' and victim advocates' opinions about each other and their work on domestic violence cases. Copies of the film can be obtained from the National Associates Programs department of the Vera Institute of Justice, 212-334-1300.
Korean Lifetime Spiral of Gender Violence (pdf)
"Korean translation of the Lifetime Spiral of Gender Violence. The spiral implicitly locates a range of abuses in the lives of girls and women, revealing patterns of victimization and perpetration. The Lifetime Spiral is designed to be used by everyone to identify histories of violence in their own lives or in the lives of family and friends."
Latina Cultural Context and Advocacy (pdf)
This document is designed for advocates working with Latina victims of domestic violence. It is intended to help inform advocates of the cultural contexts through which Latina victims see their world, in order to provide culturally informed services.
Lessons Learned From the Domestic Violence Community
"Effective Interventions in Domestic Violence and Child Maltreatment Cases: Guidelines for Policy and Practice, known as the Greenbook, was published in 1999 by the Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges in collaboration with other experts. It provides guidelines for child welfare, domestic violence service providers and family courts to work together more effectively to serve families experiencing violence, and served as the foundation for the work of the Greenbook demonstration communities. The new video clips present interviews with domestic violence advocates in the Greenbook demonstration sites about lessons learned in their communities over the six years of the initiative."
Lifetime Spiral of Gender Violence (pdf)
"The Lifetime Spiral implicitly locates a range of abuses in the lives of girls and women, revealing patterns of victimization and perpetration. The Lifetime Spiral is designed to be used by everyone to identify histories of violence in their own lives or in the lives of family and friends."
Making a Difference: Strategic Communications to End Violence Against Women (pdf)
A toolkit for planning strategic communications to raise awareness about and combat gender-based violence around the world. It gives step-by-step information on developing a media campaign. Alternate version available in Russian.
"This report provides extensive research of the mail-order bride industry in the United Kingdom. The industry is linked to the promotion of trafficking, prostitution, pornography and slavery. The report suggests that this industry not only exploits vulnerable groups of women but also reinforces racial and ethnic stereotypes. Recommendations are given on what the government can do to further protect women."
This study of the services and supports provided by domestic violence programs in four states was designed to help fill a gap in current knowledge about the range of services provided, and the needs and experience of survivors. The study results show that domestic violence programs address compelling needs that survivors cannot meet elsewhere.
An executive summary can be found here
Men in the Movement to End Violence Against Women: Training and Education
"This collection highlights several training tools and background information for use in promoting men's involvement in the movement to end violence against women. Also included are educational materials to support the teaching of non-violence to boys and young men. It is one in a series of three special collections focusing on the domestic violence prevention and education efforts of men. "
Mobilizing Communities to Prevent Domestic Violence
"This Applied Research document provides an overview of the research on community mobilization to prevent domestic violence, explores guiding concepts and frameworks, and discusses the challenges of implementing community mobilization strategies."
Mobilizing Religious Communities to Respond to Gender-based Violence and HIV: A Training Manual (pdf)
The first in a series of two manuals aimed at raising awareness and educating religious leaders and communities about gender-based violence. The training manual equips religious communities with tools to deepen their awareness and understanding of gender-based violence and its link to HIV and proposes faith-based activities on the subject.
Model Protocol for Advocates Working with Battered Women Involved in the Child Protection System
This protocol includes policy and practice recommendations for advocates who work with battered women involved in the child protection system.
Model Protocol on Service Animals in Domestic Violence Shelters (pdf)
"This document provides basic information about the use of service animals, the laws that apply to domestic violence shelters and service animals, and suggested policies and procedures for domestic violence shelters regarding service animals."
Model Protocol on Working with Friends and Family of Domestic Violence Victims (pdf)
This protocol includes examples of programs that can engage friends and families in dealing with ending domestic violence.
Model Protocols on Working with Battered Women and Their Teenage Boys in Shelter
This model protocol is useful for domestic violence shelters who do not set age limits for male children in shelter. It is equally useful for those who critically examine safety of all children and women in shelter.
Multi-Agency Practice Guidelines: Handling Cases of Forced Marriage (pdf)
"This report lists warning signs and appropriate actions for teachers and other school employees to take when they suspect a forced marriage of a child is imminent. The report also contains guidelines for police officers, health care professionals, and social workers, and provides general information on good practices when caring for victims of forced marriage."
This series was created through a collaboration of the Vermont Network Against Domestic and Sexual Violence, the Vermont Department for Children and Families and the Vermont Center for Crime Victim Services. Part V describes the structure and purpose of child protection teams, provides guiding questions for domestic violence advocate members of such teams and highlights recommendations.
National Directory of Domestic Violence Service Programs Offering Services in Spanish
A comprehensive and well organized directory of domestic violence service providers throughout the nation who offer various services in Spanish.
Originally presented by Susan Schechter as a talk at the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence Statewide Training Institute, March 17, 1997, Harrisburg, PA and revised for the Iowa Coalition Against Domestic Violence Administrative Development Conference, May 8, 1997, Ames, Iowa.
New Resources on Domestic Violence for Home Visitation Programs
As part of a special Office on Women's Health funded initiative on maternal child health and violence called Project Connect: A Coordinated Public Health Initiative to Respond to Domestic and Sexual Violence (see more about Project Connect in this issue), the Family Violence Prevention Fund is releasing a curriculum on domestic violence for home visitors.
New York City Domestic Violence Fatality Review Committee Annual Report 2008 (pdf)
This report describes family-related homicides that occurred in New York City between 2002 and 2007. Includes key findings, risk factors, and action steps in response to findings.
New York State Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence Winter 2010 Bulletin (pdf)
In the latest issue of the NYS Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence's (OPDV) quarterly newsletter, topics include the use of technology in stalking, predicting reabuse and murders of intimate partners, and training events happening around the state.
Not a Minute More: Ending Violence Against Women (pdf)
This report highlights many of the achievements towards the empowerment of women and indicates what must be done to build on them. It provides examples of practices as well as efforts that did not meet the goals set out for them — and explores why. It looks at the challenges ahead and asks what the most fruitful next steps might be.
Online Learning Tools on Violence Against Women
"This collection provides a sampling of available Online Learning Tools with subject matter related to violence against women prevention and intervention. The resources listed here can be used for the purposes of staff development (by individuals), or as tools for trainers (in groups).Many of the tools in this list offer Continuing Education Credits (CEUs) to fulfill licensure requirements for professionals in certain disciplines."
Overcoming Domestic Violence: A Global Challenge (pdf)
"The project is part of the World Council of Churches' decade on Overcoming Violence. The report contains seven chapters, beginning with the author’s recommendations from the project. The rest of the chapters place domestic violence within an international human rights framework, discuss domestic violence’s roots, its effects on development, relevant international law milestones, practical strategies culled from project experiences around the world, and the importance of monitoring development projects to ensure women’s full participation."
Parental Alienation Syndrome and Parental Alienation: Research Reviews (pdf)
This VAWnet document provides a historical and research overview of Parental Alienation Syndrome and Parental Alienation, identifies strategic issues for advocates working with victims, and offers guidelines to improve courts’ treatment of these issues.
Passport to Safety: Some Concluding Remarks
Under VAWA, gender-motivated violence is a form of sex discrimination and as such requires civil rights protection. In this concluding chapter the volume editors revisit salient issues and suggest strategies for multiagency coordination and cooperation.
Police Domestic Violence: A Handbook for Victims
This handbook highlights some of the most significant advantages and disadvantages of the personal, financial, and legal options that victims of law enforcement perpetrators must consider.
"This special collection includes a categorized and selected listing of articles, fact sheets, papers, reports and surveys. It is offered as an additional tool to assist advocates working on and interested in poverty and how it relates to ending violence against women."
A Prevention Institute memo highlighting opportunities for improving safety and well-being in our nation’s urban areas while saving money and stimulating the economy.
Problem-Oriented Guides for Police - Domestic Violence (pdf)
Domestic disputes are some of the most common calls for police service. This guide discusses domestic disputes that involve violence, as well as the measures that can be used to reduce them. This is an essential tool for law enforcement to help analyze and respond to their local problem.
Programming to Address Violence against Women (pdf)
"This is the second volume in a series that focuses on prevention and response tools for violence against women. The publication features eight case studies that highlight initiatives that have proven successful in combating violence against women: Algeria, Guatemala, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe. The UNFPA hopes to support current efforts in the eight case study countries and encourage other countries to take steps toward ending violence against women."
Progress of the World's Women 2000
UNIFEM's first issue in the biennial investigation of progress made towards a world where women live free from violence, poverty and inequality. Topics covered include women's economic security and rights, engendering governance and leadership and promoting women's human rights.
This report examines innovative partnership designed to assist the employment needs of immigrant women who are survivors of domestic violence.
Punjabi Lifetime Spiral of Gender Violence (pdf)
"Punjabi translation of the Lifetime Spiral of Gender Violence. The spiral implicitly locates a range of abuses in the lives of girls and women, revealing patterns of victimization and perpetration. The Lifetime Spiral is designed to be used by everyone to identify histories of violence in their own lives or in the lives of family and friends."
Raising Our Voices: Queer Asian Women's Response to Relationship Violence
This report is based on information derived from both the local and national groups. For purposes of the report all are referred to as focus groups. The goal of this report is to encourage all domestic violence programs to provide services to not only the queer Asian women's community, but to all under-served communities.
Realizing the Promise of Home Visitation: Addressing Domestic Violence and Child Maltreatment (pdf)
"This guide is intended to help policy makers and advocates build a strong national policy framework to maximize the effectiveness and reach of early childhood home visiting programs. It is intended to ensure that federal home visiting policies directly address: the needs of mothers and children who are experiencing or at risk of experiencing domestic violence, the link between domestic violence and child abuse and neglect, and the impact of domestic violence on the health and well-being of children and families."
Reflections from the Field: Considerations for Domestic Violence Specialists (pdf)
"Domestic violence and child protection professionals from multiple states came together to discuss the complexity of systems-change work and the continued need for a social justice framework to guide these efforts. This document is a compilation of their stories and insights as people who have worked as or supported domestic violence specialists dedicated to helping families experiencing the co-occurrence of domestic violence and child maltreatment."
Reflections from the Field: Considerations for Domestic Violence Specialists (pdf)
The purpose of this document is to share discussions that were had at a "Specialized Positions Meeting". The conversations had at this meeting focused on advances and insights based on the collective experience of specialists; framing key questions for policy makers and others interested in supporting, funding, and implementing specialist positions; and supporting those working as specialists by reaffirming the importance and difficulty of their role and proposing foundational questions for exploration to shape their role and responsibilities to guide the next generation of their work.
Resource Guide for Advocates & Attorneys on Interpretation Services for Domestic Violence Victims (pdf)
This document provides guidelines from the Interpretation Technical Assistance and Resource Center that focus on court interpretation for domestic and sexual violence victims with limited English proficiency. These guidelines inform how advocacy, interpretation, and language access can be integrated.
Ruling Offers a New Protection to Victims of Assault in Minnesota (USA)
The Minnesota Supreme Court published a ruling that an individual may now be charged with the serious crime of burglary if they enter their former partner's home to commit a crime, even if they have an ownership interest in the home. This ruling provides a new type of protection for victims who do not have an active order for protection against former partners.
A blog developed by David Mandel & Associates, LLC in which they will be exploring the ideas underpinning the Safe and Together model. The model provides a practical and concrete approach to improving the response of child welfare to the risk and safety concerns presented by batterers. They will be providing practical tips and ideas for policy and practice. All are welcome to participate in the discussion.
Safety Plan for a Friend, Relative, or Co-Worker Who Is Being Abused by an Intimate Partner (pdf)
This safety plan helps those who wish to provide support to someone in a domestic violence situation with the tools to do so in an effective way. Provides safety planning advice and resources.
Safety Planning With Teens (pdf)
An issue brief created by Break the Cycle for those working with teens on safety planning issues.
Security Begins at Home (pdf)
The Kosova Women’s Network released the country’s first study on domestic violence, called Security Begins at Home. The report highlights key points such as: what the citizens of Kosovo perceive as domestic violence, the forms and consequences of domestic violence, citizens' response to ending it, and the legal and institutional gaps in addressing it.
Serving Women with Developmental Disabilities: Strategies for the Justice System
Women with developmental disabilities experiencie a far higher rate of sexual assault and rape than other women, and experience this victimization repeatedly. This article explores some of the issues facing police, prosecutors, judges, advocates, and other members of the criminal justice system, and provide some suggestions for how they can better serve women with developmental disabilities.
Sexual Violence against Asian, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Women (pdf)
This document provides guidelines for advocates on various points of intersection of domestic and sexual violence in the API communities.
Silence is Violence: End the Abuse of Women in Afghanistan (pdf)
A new United Nations (UN) report on women in Afghanistan that focuses on the growing trend of violence and threats against women in public life and rape/sexual violence. The report concludes that these forms of violence are a huge occurrence in the everyday lives of Afghan women and the government has a crucial role in helping to eradicate these harmful practices towards women.
Social Worker's Practice Guide to Domestic Violence (pdf)
A guide created by the Department of Social and Health Services, for social workers working with domestic violence issues in the state of Washington. Includes information on how social workers should work with victims and perpetrators, child assessment of exposure to violence, as well as legal and policy issues in the state.
"These Standards are presented as aspirational guidelines for the operation of legal service providers, pro bono legal service providers, and individual lawyers representing victims of domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking in civil protection order cases."
This website is a tool for the promotion of women's human rights in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) and in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). This site addresses violence against women as one of the most pervasive human rights abuses worldwide. The STOPVAW site provides women's rights advocates with information focused on ending the most endemic forms of violence against women in the region
This toolkit is intended to assist mental health providers in developing domestic violence-informed policies for responding to subpoenas and other demands for client records.
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has released a new toolkit which is designed to help continue the survival of Grassroots Community-Based organizations concerned about continuing critical services for people affected by substance abuse and mental health disorders.
Tagalog Lifetime Spiral of Gender Violence (pdf)
"Tagalog translation of the Lifetime Spiral of Gender Violence. The spiral implicitly locates a range of abuses in the lives of girls and women, revealing patterns of victimization and perpetration. The Lifetime Spiral is designed to be used by everyone to identify histories of violence in their own lives or in the lives of family and friends."
Technology and Teen Dating Violence (pdf)
This issue brief explains the ways technology can be used as tools of abuse. It offers tips to providers working on safety planning with teens experiencing abuse.
Technology Safety & Advocacy Special Collection
This special collection includes a categorized and annotated listing of selected articles, fact sheets, papers, reports and other materials regarding the use of technology as it impacts and intersects with violence against women and children. It is offered as an additional tool to assist advocates working on and interested in the safe use of technology.
This report conceptualizes the Community Engagement Continuum in order to categorize a range of community based approaches in the anti-violence movement and to clarify the goals of engagement. The four points on the continuum--community outreach and education, community mobilization, community organizing, and community accountability--are defined by the level to which the strategies used lead to increases in the community's capacity to transform relations of power.
The Crossing Borders Self-Assessment Guide (pdf)
"A tool kit for doing the "inside work" within programs to strengthen and expand services for immigrant survivors of domestic violence."
The Economic Impacts of Domestic Violence: A Blueprint for Action (pdf)
"This report contains selected findings and recommendations resulting from a series of hearings held in MA in June 2001. The hearings involved more than 125 people, with 40% of these identifying as survivors of domestic violence."
This report documents the findings from the Phase II evaluation of the coordinated response to domestic violence in Omaha and Douglas County.
The Greenbook Initiative Final Evaluation Report (pdf)
"The Greenbook national evaluation results are presented in three reports. The Greenbook Demonstration Initiative: Process Evaluation Report: Phase 1 focused on the planning and goal setting phase of the Greenbook initiative in the sites. This final evaluation report assesses the extent to which the Greenbook implementation activities facilitated cross-system and within system change and practice in the child welfare agencies, dependency courts, and domestic violence service providers."
The Impact of Conflict on Women and Girls in West and Central Africa and the UNICEF response (pdf)
"This first-of-its-kind study by UNICEF on the situation of war-affected girls and women in the region highlights innovative programmes being implemented with partners to address the impact of conflict, and recommends how UNICEF can more proactively champion the rights of girls - particularly adolescent girls."
The Military Response to Victims of Domestic Violence: Tools for Civilian Advocates (pdf)
This handbook is designed for civilian advocates working with military victims of domestic violence—both active duty victims and partners of active duty service members—to help advocates respond to the uniquely challenging needs of this population of survivors.
The New Welfare Law: Implications for Battered Women
This paper is the first in a series of three papers that aim to provide relevant and practical information about the new "Welfare Law" and its effects on battered women and their children to domestic violence advocates and others working in the field.
The State of the World's Children 2009 Report
"The State of the World's Children 2009 examines critical issues in maternal and newborn health, underscoring the need to establish a comprehensive continuum of care for mothers, newborns and children. The report outlines the latest paradigms in health programming and policies for mothers and newborns, and explores policies, programmes and partnerships aimed at improving maternal and neonatal health. Africa and Asia are a key focus for this report, which complements the previous year's issue on child survival."
The VAWA Manual: Immigration Relief for Abused Immigrants (pdf)
Manual on the preparation, filing and processing of applications pursuant to the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). Also includes detailed information on Special Immigrant Juvenile Status for Children Under Juvenile Court Jurisdiction, and U and T Non-Immigrant Visas (Victims of Crime and Trafficking). A good resource for advocates and legal professionals working with these victims.
This document takes some time to download, especially with a slow connection.
The VAWA Manual: Immigration Relief for Abused Immigrants, Index of Appendices 1-100 (pdf)
Contains a list of appendices in connection with The VAWA Manual: Immigration Relief for Abused Immigrants.
The VAWA Manual: Immigration Relief for Abused Immigrants, Index of Appendices 101-200 (pdf)
Contains a list of appendices in connection with The VAWA Manual: Immigration Relief for Abused Immigrants.
The VAWA Manual: Immigration Relief for Abused Immigrants, Index of Appendices 201-300 (pdf)
Contains a list of appendices in connection with The VAWA Manual: Immigration Relief for Abused Immigrants.
The VAWA Manual: Immigration Relief for Abused Immigrants, Index of Appendices 301-380 (pdf)
Contains a list of appendices in connection with The VAWA Manual: Immigration Relief for Abused Immigrants.
This is a good introduction to advocacy concepts used when working with victims of intimate violence, rape and child abuse. It is designed for use both as a workshop outline and as a guide for direct interactions with individual clients.
Towards a Common European Framework to Monitor Progress in Combating Violence Against Women (pdf)
"Contains proposals for policies and indicators that could form the basis for a tool to monitor State progress in combating violence against women, as well as case studies of European initiatives that illustrate good practices."
Trafficking: Considerations and Recommendations for Battered Women's Advocates (pdf)
Offers domestic violence advocates some considerations and recommendations for working with victims of trafficking. After a brief overview of statistics and issue analysis, the document provides considerations and recommendations for advocates in seven key areas: (1) Arrest, (2) Custody and Release, (3) Legal representation and the investigation process, (4) Endangerment and confidentiality, (5) Shelter Services, (6) Complex traumas and oppressions, and (7) Medical records and care.
Transforming the National AIDS Response: Advancing Women’s Leadership and Participation (pdf)
"The second in a series of resource guides dedicated to highlighting strategies for incorporating gender equality and women’s rights into national HIV and AIDS responses. This publication discusses various approaches for advancing women’s leadership and meaningful participation of HIV-positive women in the AIDS response."
This paper describes results of phone interviews with twelve domestic violence transitional housing programs across the country. Key considerations for new and emerging programs are offered. Program profiles are also provided.
Trauma Informed Care Resources for Children Exposed to Violence
Exposure to violence at home, in the form of child abuse and neglect, or in the community, whether at school or in the neighborhood, can affect young people in profound ways. This resource provides information on children's exposure to violence for parents and other caregivers, as well as for teachers and other agencies and staff who may work with these youth. Information includes warning signs of exposure to violence and what you can do to intervene.
UN study on Violence Against Children
"A press release on a new effort to provide a detailed global picture of the nature, extent and causes of violence against children, and propose clear recommendations for action to prevent and reduce such violence. The study focuses on violence against children in five settings: the home and family, schools and educational settings, other institutional settings (orphanages, children in conflict with the law), the community and on the streets, and work situations. "
UNIFEM Annual Report 2004/2005 (pdf)
The Annual Report documents UNIFEM's work to foster women's empowerment and gender equality around the world. It highlights some of the organization's initiatives during the year 2004–2005, among which were initiatives in promoting women's political participation and leadership in post-conflict situations, easing the burden of HIV/AIDS on women, promoting women's right to own land, and supporting the creation and implementation of gender-responsive budgets.
UNiTE to End Violence against Women: The Framework for Action (pdf)
"The overall objective is raising public awareness and increasing political will and resources for preventing and responding to all forms of violence against women and girls – in all parts of the world. The Framework for Action provides an overall “umbrella” for the efforts to be undertaken at global, regional, national and local levels. It identifies five key outcomes as benchmarks for the Campaign, to be achieved in all countries by 2015, and outlines a UN Programme of Activities and expected Outputs."
VAWnet Mini-Special Collection: Supporting the Women of Haiti
"This collection includes initiatives supporting relief efforts in Haiti, especially those focused on delivering aid to women and responding to those at higher risk for sexual and/or domestic violence."
This forum addresses the nature and affects of vicarious trauma and compassion fatigue and provides methods to identify and treat them. Hosted by expert Debby Tucker, Executive Director for the National Center on Domestic and Sexual Violence.
Violence Against Native Women: A Guide for Practitioner Action (pdf)
This paper is intended to serve as a guide to practitioners who represent Native women who are the victims of domestic and sexual violence. It is dedicated to the brave Native women whose faces are behind the horrifying statistics. Includes practice tips for law enforcement, tribal leaders, judges, advocates, attorneys, prosecutors, and probation/parole officers.
Violence Against Women and Girls: A Compendium of Monitoring and Evaluation Indicators (pdf)
"This compendium offers a set of monitoring and evaluation indicators for program managers, organizations, and policy makers working to address violence against women and girls at individual, community, district and national levels in developing countries."
Violence in the EU Examined (pdf)
"A report published by the University of Ljubljana in Slovenia on good practices and general recommendations for domestic violence initiatives in the Czech Republic, Cyprus, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia. The project includes findings on sexual harassment, female genital mutilation, honor crimes, exploitation, trafficking, and other issues affecting women and children. A summary of the report’s general recommendations is also available."
Violence in the Lives of Persons who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing
"This Special Collection offers information regarding the experiences and needs of individuals who are Deaf or hard of hearing and victims/survivors of domestic and/or sexual violence. The collection seeks to increase knowledge and understanding of deaf culture, provide resources to assist professionals working directly with deaf individuals, and highlight best practices."
Welfare and Domestic Violence Against Women: Lessons from Research
This VAWnet paper provides a succinct summary of welfare research, with a focus on the aspects that have implications for advocates and others who work with women who receive TANF (Temporary Assistance to Needy Families- the program established under PRWORA).
This page links you to scripts, slides, and handouts from a web conference that, "featuring one of the nation's leading experts on violence against women and one of its top pollsters -- explored the latest research into men's views on domestic violence and sexual assault. Do men think this violence is common? Do they worry about the safety of women they know? What exactly are they willing to do to help stop violence? What messages resonate most with men? How can advocates engage men more effectively in prevention? In addition to reviewing the results of a new poll, experts discussed effective strategies for engaging men."
When Battered Women Stay... Advocacy Beyond Leaving
"This paper raises the key issues, questions, and dilemmas regarding advocacy with battered women who stay in their relationships. It discusses the limitations of safety strategies for leaving, and frames the issues central to the expansion of advocacy beyond leaving, including: 1) safety planning and advocacy with victims who stay; 2) ending violent and controlling behavior; and 3) knowing what children need to be OK."
Why Does Abuse Happen in Later Life?
"This forum explores the issue of elder abuse and is hosted by Diana Christen, Executive Director of the Family Life Center, a Certified Domestic/Sexual Violence Center and Emergency Shelter in Bunnell, Florida. Diana has specialized in the prevention of domestic/sexual violence for over 10 years."
"This report, the product of a 2009 survey of victim assistance providers and LGBTQ anti-violence programs throughout the United States, describes widespread gaps in victim services for LGBTQ victims of crime and recommends steps to improve both the services and their accessibility."
"With an End in Sight" narrates inspiring stories showing how groups of people are moving ahead and creating new ideas to combat violence against women. It provides knowledge, insight and hope of how violence against women can be eliminated with combined effort, compelling advocacy, and wide-reaching education.
Witnessing Domestic Violence: The Effect on Children
The author discusses the conequences of child exposure to domestic violence across various ages, as well as prevention and screening techniques. Community advocacy is emphasized.
Women and Health: Today’s Evidence, Tomorrow’s Agenda (pdf)
"This report reviews evidence on the health issues that particularly affect girls and women throughout their life course. This report uses currently available data to draw attention to the consequences and costs of failing to address health issues at appropriate points in their lives."
World Report on Violence against Children
"This book addresses all violence against children within the family, schools, alternative care institutions and detention facilities, places where children work and communities. It lists the relevant international and national legal instruments and standards. It also describes the nature and impact of all forms of violence, indicating possible risk and causal factors. Finally, and most important, based on existing evidence and concrete examples, it provides detailed recommendation on measures to be taken to enhance the protection of children from violence."
Yaari Dosti: Young Men Redefine Masculinity (pdf)
"This training manual is a tool for those aiming to promote gender equity and address masculinity as a strategy for the prevention of HIV infection. The Manual is based on operations research that was undertaken in Mumbai and Uttar Pradesh to develop educational activities targeted to young men."
Animal/Pet cruelty
Animal Cruelty/Human Violence (pdf)
"This fact sheet offers statistics from several research studies investigating the connection between animal cruelty and human violence, domestic violence, and child abuse."
In this article Phil Arkow argues that it is important to use an ecological systems approach to better understand children’s interactions with animals. Understanding the role and impact of animals in the ecology of violent childhoods can help service providers to successfully address issues related to exposure to violence.
Battered Women's Reports of Their Partner's and Children's Cruelty to Animals (pdf)
"This research study describes how abuse of pets is a method employed by batterers to control their partners, contributes to the impact on children exposed to violence, and may also be related to batterers' lethality."
Expanding Domestic Violence Protective Orders to Include Companion Animals
This article makes clear the link between animal abuse and intimate partner violence and explains why it is important to include animals in safety planning, orders of protection, and shelter programs.
Final Report on the project entitled: Animal Welfare and Domestic Violence (pdf)
"This study assesses animal maltreatment in samples of women seeking safety at shelters and community samples of women. Women in shelter were much more likely (54%) to report partners' hurting or killing of their pets than women not in shelter (3.5%)."
Guidance for Veterinarians to Respond to Suspected Cruelty, Abuse and Neglect (pdf)
This document was created to help veterinarians who see cases of suspected animal abuse and neglect in practice to respond effectively. It is intended to aid veterinarians in establishing individual, practice-specific policies and procedures that best serve the needs of the animal and the client. Topics covered include documentation, decision making, model policies, client questionnaires, legal reporting requirements, liability and confidentiality, and sources of training and resources.
Pets in Protective Orders- Summary by State (pdf)
This document shows current pet protection laws by state as well as pending legislation as of 6/11.
Safety Planning for Pets (pdf)
This document is a collection of materials compiled by the National Link Coalition to help abuse victims include the welfare of their animals when making their plans to protect themselves and their family.
Batterer intervention
A Review of Standards for Batterer Intervention Programs
This document reports on the current status of standards for batterer intervention programs in each U.S. state, describes the common elements of standards, and explores the positive and negative aspects of standards. It includes a chart outlining the status of standards in each state.
Assessing Risk To Children From Batterers (pdf)
This document provides an overview of potential sources of physical and psychological injury to children from contact with batterers, details recommendations for evaluating the risk to children and provides assessment guidelines that professionals can apply in cases where a batterer admits to a history of abusiveness by asserting that he has changed. Information is also provided regarding the necessary context for children's recovery from exposure to battering behavior.
Assessment and evaluation of men who batter women
"Reviews research on characteristics of batterers and encourages ethnically and culturally sensitive approaches to assessment that are to plan effective interventions. Includes considerations regarding assessments for substance abuse, homicide, and more."
Batterer Accountability: Responding to Child Maltreatment and Domestic Violence
"This paper outlines the philosophical basis of best practice that is rooted in batterer accountability - and it outlines the consequences to children when programs are not so rooted. The paper goes on to talk about all the things advocates can do to push system change that fully integrates batterer accountability, provides excellent advocacy to victims, supports CPS collaborators and looks at alternative models for dependencies and termination of parent rights."
Batterer Intervention Program Enrollment and Completion Among Immigrant Men in Massachusetts (pdf)
"This study describes immigrant clients enrolled in Massachusetts batterer intervention (BI) programs from 2002 to 2004. The study seeks to describe the immigrant men enrolled in Massachusetts BI programs, investigate whether immigrants were more or less likely to complete BI programs than were nonimmigrants, and investigate whether immigrants in non-English, culturally specific groups were more or less likely to complete BI programs than were immigrants in mainstream groups."
Batterer Intervention Programs: Where Do We Go From Here? (pdf)
This report analyzes the possibility that previous batterer intervention program evaluations may be methodologically flawed and/or that something may be wrong with the programs themselves.
Batterer Intervention State Standards
This is an extensive directory of state and county standards for batterer intervention and domestic violence education.
Batterer Intervention: Program Approaches and Criminal Justice Strategies (pdf)
This February 1998 report strives to improve the working relationship and mutual understanding between criminal justice personnel and batterer program staff. A secondary goal is to expand the debate about innovative batterer intervention approaches to include criminal justice personnel who work with batterers daily and criminal justice policymakers who are concerned with domestic violence. Published by the U.S. Department of Justice's Office of Justice Programs at the National Institute of Justice.
Batterer Intervention: Doing the Work and Measuring the Progress (pdf)
This report is the work of a gathering of practitioners, researchers, policymakers and other stakeholders to discuss challenging issues related to batterer intervention. It describes the experts roundtable, summarizes the key themes that emerged from the discussions, and recommends next steps for the field of batterer intervention.
Batterer Intervention: Where Do We Go From Here? - Workshop Notes
This article documents the main conversations held at the Batterer Intervention Workshop. Participants discussed several areas that need attention: the definition of a successful outcome, researcher-practitioner partnerships, determining which evaluation designs are most effective under which circumstances, and recruitment and attrition issues. The Workshop was held January 17, 2002.
Breaking the Cycle offers information, exercises and more to help batterer intervention programs begin these essential conversations. These curriculum guidelines were produced by the Family Violence Prevention Fund with generous support from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation.
Breaking the Cycle: Part I
Breaking the Cycle: Part II
Breaking the Cycle: Tools
Audio Stories
Michael’s Story Part 1 (English, 2:08)
Michael’s Story Part 2 (English, 5:08)
Miguel’s Story Part 1 (Spanish, 2:15)
Miguel’s Story Part 2 (Spanish, 5:39)
California Batterer Intervention Systems Study
This study on batterer intervention programs in the state of California encompasses 5 counties, 53 batterer intervention programs that provide client data, and over 1,000 men enrolled in those programs. The study found that the individual characteristics of the offenders, and not the program they were enrolled in nor the features of the specific court they were sentenced in, were the strongest predictors of outcomes.
Characteristics of Batterers in A Multi-Site Evaluation of Batterer Intervention Systems
Includes: A summary of findings for a 12-month follow-up; A summary of findings for a 15-month follow-up; and List of Papers and Staff
Community Corrections Response To Domestic Violence: Guidelines For Practice (pdf)
"This document provides a series of guidelines for community corrections professionals that support a proactive community supervision approach for domestic violence cases. It pulls together in one place for community corrections professionals and allied justice system and community-based services the conceptual information and practical tools to develop or enhance effective programs."
Controversies and Recent Studies of Batterer Intervention Program Effectiveness
This VAWnet document examines the effectiveness of batterer intervention programs and particularly addresses how they work, for whom do they work best, and which elements of the program are most important.
Danger Zone: Battered Mothers and Their Families in Supervised Visitation (pdf)
"This paper outlines research conducted at a supervised visitation center specifically for serving families where domestic violence was the primary reason for referral. The authors have classified their experiences based on these main subjects: battered women in supervised visitation, how battering continues during supervised visitation, how the rules of the supervised visitation center evolved during the first 18 months of implementation, the importance of well-trained visit monitors, and the need to include supervised visitation centers within a larger context of coordinated community responses to domestic violence."
Discharge Criteria for Batterer Programs
Clinical judgement typically plays a central role in the discharge of the patients from alcohol and mental health treatment. Batterer programs instead rely almost exclusively on program attendance to determine discharge. This paper uses a 10-item set of criteria to rate participants in a 13-week court mandated batterer program. It concludes with a discussion of methodological limitations, practical issues, and alternative applications of discharge criteria.
Do Batterer Program Length or Approach Affect Completion or Re-Arrest Rates? (pdf)
This study compared outcomes between defendants sentenced to two batterer programs in Brooklyn, New York. A literature review on batterer programs is presented followed by the research methodology. The findings suggest that neither underlying program philosophy nor program length alone predict either program completion or future violence.
This article examines the complexities of the question: "Do batterer's programs work?" It begins by exploring the word "works". It then scrutinizes published outcome data on the issue through various lenses of public debate on treatment effectiveness. It concludes with suggested policy and program directions for future interventions.
Domestic Violence and Probation
This article offers specialized management techniques that probation officers can use to monitor batterers and intervene in domestic violence cases more effectively. The author offers suggestions on how to manage offenders on probation, respond to common excuses, and handle those offenders least likely to be held accountable.
Domestic Violence Perpetrator Programs: What Counts as Success? (pdf)
This research briefing is an exploration of what we mean by "success" when speaking about Domestic Violence Perpetrator Programs. Women, men, practitioners and funders all contributed to this stage of the work.
Domestic Violence Perpetrators: Working with the Cause of the Problem
Respect has put together this document to make the case for increasing the work done with domestic violence perpetrators.
This 133 page publication addresses a number of issues relevant to family violence within the home and the community and specifically focuses on interventions. It is intended to offer communities a guiding framework to develop interventions and measure progress as they seek to improve their responses to families experiencing domestic violence and child maltreatment.
Emerging issues in domestic/family violence research
"This paper presents an overview of the key emerging issues in Australian domestic and family violence research in the context of gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and intersex communities; the elderly; those with disabilities; people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds; Indigenous communities; homelessness; the impact on children; and issues around perpetrator programs."
Ending Gender-Based Violence: A call for global action to involve men
In this report, seven masculinity researchers write about masculinity in different parts of the world and about how masculinity is often linked to violence. These acts of violence are committed not only against women and children, but also against other men. The writers suggest a number of ways in which men can be involved in working to combat men’s violence.
Engendering Change: Transforming Gender Roles in Asian & Pacific Islander Communities (pdf)
The introduction begins by providing a description of the societal context in which domestic violence occurs, and leads into a discussion about two batterer intervention programs for Asian men, and concludes with practice implications.
Focus Groups of African-American Men: Perspectives on Addressing Domestic Violence
This study is the first step toward a larger, multi-site project that would obtain valuable information about how to help African-American men prevent or eliminate violence in relationships. The purpose of this paper is to identify realistic approaches by which African-American men can confront friends, neighbors, relatives, co-workers or strangers, who are African-American men who batter. What is unique about this study is that African-American men are the key informants.
Groupwork with Men Who Batter: What the Research Literature Indicates (pdf)
This paper focuses on research on small group treatment programs for men who batter. There is controversy over which, if any, programs are the most effective. This paper first provides a brief overview of the history and current practice of groupwork with men who batter, and then focuses on key findings from the published research on batterer group programs.
Guidelines for Men Who Batter Programs
Developed by the People Who Work With People Who Batter, Minneapolis, Minnesota. 1997. It is intended that these guidelines be a guide for new and existing programs toward the development and delivery of services to men involved in heterosexual relationships who have acted abusively toward a partner or spouse.
This report informs policy makers and employers about the way Vermont workplaces are affected
by domestic violence. It provides important information to help employers make decisions about
policy and procedural responses to employees involved in domestic violence.
The survey instrument used collected data on men’s use of workplace resources to perpetrate
violence against an intimate partner and the impact of abuse on their own and their partner’s workplace. The survey also collected data on workplace intervention and prevention policies, and procedures and strategies that would prevent men from abusing partners from and in the workplace.
Intervention for Men Who Batter: A Review of Research
This chapter appears in the book Understanding partner violence: Prevalence, causes, consequences and solutions, edited by S. Stith and M. Straus (1995). Minneapolis, MN: National Council on Family Relations.
Intervention Strategies with Child Maltreating Men (pdf)
This document outlines the importance of healthy parenting following child maltreatment and adds to our understanding of adult male maltreatment intervention by offering some important insights and actionable recommendations.
Limits and Risks of Programs for Wife Batterers
This extensive and multi-part 1995 paper was assembled by the Montreal Men Against Sexism. Due to it's size (approx. 100 pages total), the Microsoft Word version will take some time to download.
Operationalizing Accountability: The Domains and Bases of Accountability (pdf)
In this article, the authors focus on batterer accountability from a personal accountability standpoint. They created a working definition of accountability that was both theoretically sound and user friendly for participants. The authors concluded that learning how to be accountable in the domains of their daily life is important in facilitating their understanding of accountability in ways that will be useful to them in the future.
Predictors of Program Outcome and Recidivism at the Bronx Misdemeanor Domestic Violence Court (pdf)
In this study, the authors examine cases in the Bronx for possible correlates of program mandate non-completion and recidivism. A literature review of domestic violence prevention and intervention programs is presented followed by the research study and outcomes.
Promising Practices with Men Who Batter (pdf)
In this report to the King County Domestic Violence Council, the author provides a literature review of promising practices with men who batter, ranging from historical to current approaches. Key research findings on batterer intervention programs(BIP) are provided, including current concerns with BIPs. Finally, current gaps in services are identified and recommendations are given.
Recruitment and Retention in Intimate Partner Violence Research (pdf)
This report focuses on methods of recruitment and retention in intimate partner violence research with particular attention to attrition in batterer treatment programs and retention in longitudinal studies. Case studies highlighting recruitment and retention methods in five different intimate partner violence research programs are described by their respective investigators. A set of guidelines is offered for recruitment and retention in intimate partner violence research, which is intended to help guide the field by offering suggestions that can lead to successful recruitment and retention efforts in a way that maintains the safety of participants and researchers alike.
Restraining Order Violators, Corrective Programming and Recidivism (pdf)
Produced by the Massachusetts Trial Court - Office of the Commissioner of Probation in 2004. This document is the summarized results of a study regarding the ongoings of a domestic violence perpetrator/offender in the criminal courts. Highlights include, the relationship between victime and offender, batterer intervention programs, as well as other forms of treatment/management.
A blog developed by David Mandel & Associates, LLC in which they will be exploring the ideas underpinning the Safe and Together model. The model provides a practical and concrete approach to improving the response of child welfare to the risk and safety concerns presented by batterers. They will be providing practical tips and ideas for policy and practice. All are welcome to participate in the discussion.
Standards For Batterers Intervention Programs
Batterer Intervention Program in the Central Indiana Program, Certified by the Indiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence. A site dedicated to helping persons seek information, counseling and other resources which aim to intervene in both male and female batterers lives.
Substance Abuse and Woman Abuse by Male Partners
This piece explores the overlap between substance abuse and battering. The author examines various perspectives regarding the relationship between substance abuse and violence, explores research on substance abuse by batterers, and discusses substance abuse by battered women. Includes recommendations for improving interventions with batterers who also abuse substances.
Summary of an evaluation of the court review process for men referred to batterer counseling from the Domestic Violence Court in Pittsburgh.
The PIVOT Project of Aid to Victims of Domestic Abuse in Houston is participating in a multi-site battering intervention program evaluation being conducted by Edward Gondolf and funded by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This paper presents the view of collaborative research from the perspective of the program staff and what they learned from the process.
Violence Against Women - Synthesis of Research on Offender Interventions (pdf)
This report provides an overview of the latest research on interventions for men who assault women—wives, girlfriends, and acquaintances. The assaults may be physical or sexual, and they almost always involve psychological abuse. The overview begins with a description of the major components of current programs and then describes what is known about effective assessment and treatment methods. Several topics are covered that are often of interest to practitioners, including methods for enhancing treatment motivation, assessment of dangerousness, and culturally competent practice. The role of research in resolving controversial issues and the characteristics of sound evaluations are also discussed. Programs reviewed will be those commonly labeled as "social service," "treatment," and "psycho-educational," as opposed to purely criminal justice interventions.
Violence Against Women: Classic Papers
The purpose of this project was to assemble some of the classic works in the field of violence against women so that new generations of students, practitioners, and researchers would have a collective understanding of the work that has shaped the field. Included are commentaries from the original authors, when available, reflecting on why they authored the work when they did and the influence of their work on the field.
When Battered Women Stay... Advocacy Beyond Leaving
"This paper raises the key issues, questions, and dilemmas regarding advocacy with battered women who stay in their relationships. It discusses the limitations of safety strategies for leaving, and frames the issues central to the expansion of advocacy beyond leaving, including: 1) safety planning and advocacy with victims who stay; 2) ending violent and controlling behavior; and 3) knowing what children need to be OK."
Working with Men to Prevent Violence Against Women: Program Modalities and Formats (Part Two)
This VAWnet document discusses best practices in prevention, provides an overview of different program modalities and formats, and reviews pedagogies that can be used in working with men to prevent violence against women.
This paper is part of series of papers that addresses the way to mobilize community and programatic resources to provide responsive help to children and families affected both by domestic violence and poverty. This particular paper addresses the way to offer support and safety for children while maintaining safety, autonomy and choide for battered women.
Working with Young Men Who Batter: Current Strategies and New Directions
This article offers an overview of the recent juvenile batterer intervention programs. It identifies risk factors for teen dating violence perpetration as described by the literature and considers the utility of these findings, describes efforts to prevent re-offenses by juvenile perpetrators of domestic violence, discusses several shortcomings inherent in post-crisis intervention, and outlines current challenges within the field.
Child exposure
"This paper examines the process Vermont used, including areas of both agreement and uncertainty, and introduces the protocol to a wider audience of interveners. It draws on a review of planning notes and other documents and a series of interviews with those who participated in shaping the process and the protocol. It provides a starting point for other communities to explore their own response to children at domestic violence incidents, as well as an approach that can be used to examine other aspects of intervention."
A Blueprint for Responding to Children Exposed to Domestic Violence in Pediatric Health Care (pdf)
The purpose of this document is to provide training for health care providers when working with and screening for children exposed to domestic violence. A list of recommendations is included.
A Judicial Checklist for Children and Youth Exposed to Violence (Actual Checklist for Consideration) (pdf)
A detailed checklist outlining information for judges to consider when working with cases where children or youth have been exposed to violence. A technical assistance brief detailing educational information and knowledge that is important for judges to be familiar with, can be found under the additional title.
A Judicial Checklist for Children and Youth Exposed to Violence (Informational Reading) (pdf)
A technical assistance brief that addresses the need for judges to understand the impact violence has on children and adolescents. The detailed checklist outlining information for judges to consider is located separate from this material.
A Judicial Guide to Child Safety in Custody Cases (pdf)
"This Judicial Guide contains 14 bench cards which provide an easy-to-use checklist system for judges at critical decision-making points throughout child custody cases, as well as a supplemental guide which provides additional information about in- and out-of-court behaviors, best interest of the child, and order issuance and enforcement. "
ABA Commission on Domestic Violence eNewsletter on DV and Child Protection
An e-newsletter featuring articles from experts on the intersection of domestic violence and child protection.
Accountability and Connection with Abusive Men (pdf)
"This document is an effort to remedy the excessive focus on mothers in cases involving domestic violence. It provides suggestions for connecting with and holding abusers accountable. It is a resource for child protection workers, supervisors, managers and others working with families involved in the child protection system."
Adaptation Guidelines for Serving Latino Children and Families Affected by Trauma (pdf)
"This document was created by experts in the fields of child trauma research, clinical practice, policy and cultural diversity to serve as a resource for anyone who works with Latino families who have experienced traumatic events. There are 12 priority areas covered ranging from micro issues (assessment and provision of therapy) to macro issues (organizational competence and policy). Each one includes an overview of the priority area, recommendations for improving practice based on that priority area, and additional resources for further information. Portions of these guidelines are geared for advocates and therapists, while other priority areas are designed for program administrators and policy makers."
Advocacy Beyond Leaving: Helping Battered Women in Contact With Current or Former Partners (pdf)
A guide for domestic violence advocates providing information on improving outreach and responses to domestic violence victims who are in contact with their partners or children’s fathers. This guide addresses how to identify safety strategies, find resources and to know what to say when a victim’s focus and goals are to remain in contact, remain in the relationship or to improve their children’s relationship with their father.
In this article Phil Arkow argues that it is important to use an ecological systems approach to better understand children’s interactions with animals. Understanding the role and impact of animals in the ecology of violent childhoods can help service providers to successfully address issues related to exposure to violence.
Assessing Child Exposure to Adult Domestic Violence (word)
This article addresses the current available assessment tools for measuring the level of exposure to domestic violence children have witnessed within the home. A brief review of the existing measurements is offered as well as the need for a more thoroughly refined assessment tool. Suggestions are offered.
Assessing Risk To Children From Batterers (pdf)
This document provides an overview of potential sources of physical and psychological injury to children from contact with batterers, details recommendations for evaluating the risk to children and provides assessment guidelines that professionals can apply in cases where a batterer admits to a history of abusiveness by asserting that he has changed. Information is also provided regarding the necessary context for children's recovery from exposure to battering behavior.
Balancing the Harms - Protecting Children
The author addresses the need for change in the child protection system and the current means through which children are removed from the home in domestic violence situations. The page provides a short video clip from the author's work-in-progress which addresses actual cases.
Barbara J. Hart's Collected Writings
Barbara J. Hart is the Legal Director of the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence, Associate Director of the Battered Women's Justice Project, and Legal Consultant to the National Resource Center on Domestic Violence. This document contains 16 of her writings around issues of domestic violence.
Battered Women and Their Children
Battered Women and Their Children is a website devoted to a professional and scholarly examination of the connections between domestic violence (woman abuse) and child maltreatment (child abuse and neglect).
"The purpose of this study was to learn how CPS can be more responsive to families experiencing domestic violence and child abuse and neglect; learn how domestic violence advocates can be more effective in helping clients to respond to allegations of or actual child abuse and neglect and CPS interventions; explore how community can be more responsive to partner abuse and child abuse and neglect and provide support to families involved with CPS; and experiment with a research design that accomplishes the first step of participatory research and at the same time empowers advocates and survivors."
Battered Women's Reports of Their Partner's and Children's Cruelty to Animals (pdf)
"This research study describes how abuse of pets is a method employed by batterers to control their partners, contributes to the impact on children exposed to violence, and may also be related to batterers' lethality."
Behind Closed Doors: The Impact of Domestic Violence on Children (pdf)
This document is a collection of information about the extent of child exposure, the key finding of the research in this field, and recommendations for policymakers.
Beyond Observation: Considerations for Advancing Domestic Violence Practice in Supervised Visitation (pdf)
"This paper presents considerations for expanded practice in the Supervised Visitation Grant Program and describes interventions that go beyond observation in the supervised visitation setting."
A paper on the impact of physical, sexual, and psychological abuse, and exposure to family violence on the sexual, reproductive, and parenting behaviors of young men.
Bringing the Greenbook to Life: a Resource Guide for Communities (pdf)
"This guide is designed for communities seeking to develop interventions that will improve their responses to families suffering both domestic violence and child maltreatment."
Building Bridges Between Domestic Violence Organizations and Child Protective Services
This paper provides both background information and a framework for collaboration with child protection agencies that will support the work of domestic violence advocates as they try to improve safety for women and their children.
This article explains the importance of coordingating system change activities in child welfare agencies with many collaborative activities."
November 1997. This paper is meant to serve as a working document rather than the "last word," and it will be subject to revision as child welfare and domestic violence agencies on the vanguard of creating partnerships learn more about the link between child abuse and domestic violence, and how to best protect both children and their abused mothers. While the suggested practices and policies are by no means exhaustive, it is hoped that setting them out will save agencies from having to "reinvent the wheel," and will, at the same time, motivate them to add additional "spokes."
Child Abuse and Neglect Fatalities: Statistics and Interventions (pdf)
"This 2008 brief report presents statistical information on maltreatment-related fatalities of children including who are the victims and perpetrators and how communities often respond. "
Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention : Reports from the Field and Ideas for the Future (pdf)
"This report summarizes findings from a PPN project conducted for the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation's Child Abuse Prevention Program. The project sought to assess the current state of the child abuse and neglect prevention field as well as identify potential future directions for the field in terms of emerging priorities and prevention strategies."
Child Abuse and Neglect: Compendia of Civil and Criminal State Laws
"This compendia list how each state in the U.S. defines child abuse and neglect. The compendia of civil state laws are to help legal and non-legal professionals in the analysis, formulation, and implementation of child protection and child welfare legislation. The Compendia (previously titled State Statutes Elements) contain citations and text of key civil statutes pertaining to child maltreatment, child welfare, and domestic violence. The Compendia are intended as research tools and do not substitute for the official version of any statute."
"Child and Family Service Reviews (CFSRs) evaluate public child welfare systems to determine how well they achieve safety, permanency, and well-being in difficult situations of neglect, physical and sexual abuse, and co-existing domestic violence, substance abuse, mental health issues, poverty, and community violence. This guide can help stakeholders develop effective (Program Improvement Plans) PIPs for achieving safety, permanency, and well-being in domestic violence cases, and to identify or anticipate related technical assistance needs."
"Describes major legal and social trends surrounding custody and visitation decisions and the social science evidence supporting the need to consider domestic violence. Recommendations for custody and visitation decisions are explored."
Child Maltreatment 2006 Report (pdf)
"The latest Child Maltreatment annual report reports statistical data from the states on reports of maltreatment, characteristics of the children involved and their perpetrators, fatalities tied to maltreatment, and services provided to prevent maltreatment or to address the consequences of maltreatment."
Child Protection Information Sheets (pdf)
"This booklet comprises 14 information sheets which highlight how child protection is crucial to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals. Covering different forms of abuse, these sheets also outline how to build a protective environment for children and what UNICEF is doing on the ground to protect children."
Child Protective Services for Children of Battered Women: Practice and Controversy
1995. A look at the difficulties that child protection workers face when trying to make a situation safe for children who witness woman abuse.
Child Support Protocol: A Guide for Integrated Domestic Violence Courts (pdf)
A best practices guide for legal professionals who oversee integrated domestic violence court cases involving child custody issues.
Child Welfare Practices for Cases with Domestic Violence (pdf)
This is the third edition of Child Welfare Practice for Cases with Domestic Violence, developed as part of an overall effort to increase the safety of adults and children through collaboration of domestic violence services and child protective services.
Child Welfare: Health & Human Services
This website provides a number of documents and related resources, particlarly for child welfare workers. Training resources and interventions are provided as well.
Child Witnesses to Domestic Violence - Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions about child witnessing of domestic violence are answered along with information about how children are impacted, the long-term effects, and how to help.
Child Witnesses to Domestic Violence: A Meta-Analytic Review (pdf)
This study compared children exposed to domestic violence to children not so exposed. The results showed that child witnesses to domestic violence exhibit more negative outcomes.
Child Witnesses to Domestic Violence: Summary of State Laws (pdf)
Currently, approximately 22 States and Puerto Rico address in statute the issue of children who witness domestic violence in their homes. This document is a summary of those laws. Quickly find statute information for a particular State, here- www.childwelfare.gov/systemwide/laws_policies/state/index.cfm
"Abuse studies from the author’s laboratory, studies of children in orphanages who lacked emotional contact, and a large number of animal deprivation and enrichment studies point to the need for children and young nonhuman mammals to have both stable emotional attachments with and touch from primary adult caregivers, and spontaneous interactions with peers. If these connections are lacking, brain development both of caring behavior and cognitive capacities is damaged in a lasting fashion. The effects of the childhood environment, favorable or unfavorable, interact with all the processes of neurodevelopment."
Childhood Sex Abuse Increases Risk for Drug Dependence in Adult Women
"The article briefly discusses the data results gathered from interviews of women revealing that those who experienced any type of sexual abuse in their childhood were roughly three times more likely than unabused girls to report drug dependence as adults."
Children and Domestic Violence
A variety of resources are provided for professionals and for any person interested in learning more about children and domestic violence, including books and training materials.
Children and Domestic Violence (pdf)
This document is based on a presentation done by Steve Cohen. It reviews the impact of exposure to domestic violence on children, the scope of the problem, and a variety of resources are also provided.
This research examines both the notification process for children's exposure to violence itself and the subsequent service pathways followed by families brought to the attention of children’s social services in this way. It also explores which other agencies contribute to services for families experiencing domestic violence and captures young people’s, survivors’ and perpetrators’ views of services.
Children and Family Violence: The Unnoticed Victims
May 1994 report based on a New Zealand study. This document goes into detail about child exposure to domestic violence and the consequences of such witnessing.
Children Exposed to Domestic Violence (pdf)
In this brief, an outline is provided that details the domestic violence problem, how it effects children by age and gender, the connection between DV and child abuse, and Rhode Islands specific efforts to combat the problem.
Children Exposed to Intimate Partner Violence (pdf)
The information provided in this article centers on the effects of child exposure to domestic violence, parenting practices, the need for collaboration between domestic violence advocates and child protection workers, and interventions for exposed children.
This handbook is for domestic violence specialists and trainers in police departments. It is designed to increase the understanding of children’s exposure to domestic violence by officers responding to these situations.
This 26-page resource helps educators understand how violence affects children at different ages, what teachers may see in the classroom, teaching strategies, handling parent-attended events, and supporting students who disclose.
Children Hurt Too: How You Can Help (pdf)
This booklet contains information put together by King County in Washington, that can help parents to talk to their children about the violence, and help children to recover from their experience so they don’t become abusers or victims themselves.
Children Who Witness Domestic Violence: The Invisible Victims (pdf)
A review of the effects of exposure to both domestic violence and community violence is the focus of this work, and the author discusses what is learned by children who witness such violence. Further directions for research are also included.
Children's Domestic Violence Assessment Tool (pdf)
"The purpose of this tool is to help assess safety, risk, strengths and needs. It may be used to assist in decision making and service planning during any stage of the CPS case (assessment through case planning and case management) in conjunction with required Structured Decision Making Tools. The tool is designed for use with the child(ren) in CPS cases involving domestic violence."
Children's Exposure to Domestic Violence in Australia (pdf)
In this paper, current knowledge about the extent of children's exposure to domestic violence in Australia is described, along with the documented impacts that this exposure can have on children. Current legislative and policy initiatives are then described and some community-based programs that have been introduced in Australia to address the problem of children's exposure to domestic violence are highlighted.
Children's Exposure to Domestic Violence: A Guide to Research and Resources (pdf)
Published in collaborative work with the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges and the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, this document outlines: the impace of domestic violence on children, the legal issues and system responses affecting children exposed to domestic violence, and provides useful resources which address this specific area of interest.
Children's Exposure to Violence: The Safe Start Initiative (pdf)
This April 2001 Factsheet presents an overview of the Safe Start Initiative. Researchers estimate that as many as 10 million U.S. children witness or are victims of violence in their homes or communities each year. The Safe Start Initiative, which was developed by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention in partnership with the Office of Justice Programs and the Department of Health and Human Services, is designed to prevent and reduce the impact of violence on young children and their families through the development of comprehensive and collaborative service delivery systems.
Children's Witnessing of Adult Domestic Violence (pdf)
This article focuses on understanding on how witnessing violence in defined, what we know about its effects on children, and how such information may be used or misused.
Children, Young People and Domestic Violence (pdf)
The author explores "the ways in which children and young people experience domestic violence," as well as the impact it has on child development and the response by professionals and the child protection system is also reviewed.
Children’s Exposure to Intimate Partner Violence and Other Family Violence (pdf)
This report explores the results of the the National Survey of Children's Exposure to Violence (NatSCEV)and presents information regarding the types of exposure to family violence, the gender of the perpetrator, the relationship of the child witness to the perpetrator, and youth's reactions to the incident. It also discusses the implications of the survey data for researchers, practitioners, and policymakers and makes policy recommendations.
Children’s Exposure to Violence: A Comprehensive National Survey (pdf)
"This Bulletin discusses the National Survey of Children’s Exposure to Violence that measured the past-year and lifetime exposure to violence for children age 17 and younger across several major categories: conventional crime, child maltreatment, victimization by peers and siblings, sexual victimization, witnessing and indirect victimization (including exposure to community violence and family violence), school violence and threats, and Internet victimization."
Chinese Lifetime Spiral of Gender Violence (pdf)
"Chinese translation of the Lifetime Spiral of Gender Violence. The spiral implicitly locates a range of abuses in the lives of girls and women, revealing patterns of victimization and perpetration. The Lifetime Spiral is designed to be used by everyone to identify histories of violence in their own lives or in the lives of family and friends."
This series was created through a collaboration of the Vermont Network Against Domestic and Sexual Violence, the Vermont Department for Children and Families and the Vermont Center for Crime Victim Services. Part II of the series provides well-documented information for policy development regarding criminal and civil responses to issues impacting children exposed to domestic violence that hold batterers accountable. The paper incudes a discussion of unintended consequences of these policies, a review of several state statutes and a model response and recommendations for Vermont.
Collaborating for Family Safety: Results From the Greenbook Multisite Evaluation
"This special issue of the Journal of Interpersonal Violence features results from a multisite developmental evaluation of best practices at the intersection of child maltreatment and adult domestic violence."
This article explains the importance of collaborative efforts to responding to families experiencing domestic violence and child maltreatment. The Greenbook Initiative provided a framework for developing a multisystem collaborative approach to working with families.
"Two studies were conducted to identify the incidence (Study 1) and characteristics (Study 2) of juvenile prostitution cases known to law enforcement agencies in the United States. Findings indicate law enforcement responses to juvenile prostitution are influential in determining whether such youth are viewed as victims of commercial sexual exploitation or as delinquents."
Connecting the Dots: Children’s Exposure to Violence and Home Visiting Programs
The goal of this article, which is part of the Spring 2011 issue of Family Violence Prevention Fund's e-Journal: Family Violence Prevention and Health Practice, is to raise awareness and provide practical suggestions to bridge the disconnect between home visiting programs and addressing the needs of children exposed to domestic violence and their families.
Consequences of Childhood Exposure to Intimate Partner Violence
The findings presented in this report indicate that intimate partner violence has a significant and negative effect on externalizing child behavior, internalizing child behavior, general behavior problems, and drinking among children.
This document explores the attitudes and perceptions of women of color survivors with children. The overarching objective was to hear what women had to say about efforts to engage men and fathers of color as allies in stopping intimate partner violence and restoring health in partnership and parenting. The research was undertaken by the Family Violence Prevention Fund as part of the development of our national violence prevention campaign.
Crafting the Greenbook: Framers Reflect on the Vision, Process, and Lessons Learned
"As part of the evaluation of the Greenbook initiative, the evaluation team asked the national experts who helped frame the Greenbook to reflect on the processes used and the decisions that shaped the document. In addition, the experts were asked to describe their expectations for the systems and communities that implemented the recommendations, including anticipated challenges."
Usted sospecha que un niño que conoce ha visto o vivido la violencia? Quizás usted teme que conozca un niño dañado o affectado por la violencia. O quizás teme que algo no le pase bien a este niño, pero usted no sabe que. Puede ser dificil de suponer que pasa. Posiblemente no haya señales físicas, como moratones o cortes. Los niños suelen sufrir de "lesiones invisibles" que pueden afectarles emocionalmente y psicologicamente.
Danger Zone: Battered Mothers and Their Families in Supervised Visitation (pdf)
"This paper outlines research conducted at a supervised visitation center specifically for serving families where domestic violence was the primary reason for referral. The authors have classified their experiences based on these main subjects: battered women in supervised visitation, how battering continues during supervised visitation, how the rules of the supervised visitation center evolved during the first 18 months of implementation, the importance of well-trained visit monitors, and the need to include supervised visitation centers within a larger context of coordinated community responses to domestic violence."
Developmental Repair: A Training Manual (pdf)
Washburn Center for Children has recently completed a training manual on Developmental Repair – the treatment framework that has been developed and implemented in their Day Treatment Program under the clinical leadership of Anne Gearity PhD, LICSW. It is an intensive treatment model for working with young children who have experienced complex trauma and present with aggressive and disruptive symptoms.
Developmental Status and Early Intervention Service Needs of Maltreated Children (pdf)
"In this report, published by the Institute for Social and Economic Development, the authors analyze findings from the National Early Intervention Longitudinal Study and the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being. They provide information about the developmental status and early intervention service needs of children under age three who are substantiated for maltreatment. Topics include: 1) the extent to which maltreated children have developmental problems or are subject to factors associated with poor developmental outcomes; 2) the services maltreated children might be eligible for and ones they receive through the child welfare systems; 3) case characteristics, such as child welfare setting, that impact the effect of developmental services; and 4) existing barriers to services."
DID YOU KNOW YOUR RELATIONSHIP AFFECTS YOUR HEALTH? (pdf)
A tri-fold patient safety card which contains a checklist to assess safety, healthy/unhealthy relationships, and children's exposure to violence. The card also provides resources and information on how to get help.
DID YOU KNOW YOUR RELATIONSHIP AFFECTS YOUR HEALTH? (Spanish) (pdf)
A tri-fold patient safety card which contains a checklist to assess safety, healthy/unhealthy relationships, and children's exposure to violence. The card also provides resources and information on how to get help.
Domestic Violence Against Women and Girls (pdf)
"UNICEF's report discusses the scope and magnitude of the problem, causes and consequences of domestic violence, the socio-economic costs of violence, strategies and interventions, and state obligations with regard to domestic violence."
Domestic Violence Against Women and Girls
"Highlights issues of abuse; femicide; forced prostitution; sexual abuse of children; sex-selective abortion, female infanticide and differential access to food and medical care; and, traditional and cultural practices that affect women's health and lives."
Domestic Violence Against Women in Albania (pdf)
"This qualitative report examines the prevalence of domestic violence in Albania, including forms of domestic violence and complicating factors."
Domestic Violence and Child Welfare Services
Statistics and links to helpful resources and information related to child welfare and domestic violence are provided in this document.
Domestic Violence and Children: A Children's Health Fund Report (pdf)
The author discusses domestic violence as a pediatric issue highlighting the number of children exposed to domestic violence each year and the consequences of such exposure.
Domestic Violence and children: Analysis and Recommendations
This document reviews the prevalence of child exposure to domestic violence by documenting their existence in all segments of the community. The impact of exposure on children is also discussed.
Domestic Violence and Children: Creating a Public Response (pdf)
The authors of this paper address children's exposure to domestic violence as a factor in healthy development. Research findings suggest that children who witness domestic violence are often unnoticed and underserved by other agencies in the community. Principles serving as a guiding framework for policy and service are outlined, as well as recommendations for communities and governmental bodies to help children experiencing domestic violence.
Domestic Violence and Dependency Courts: The Greenbook Demonstration Experience
"This article focuses on the dependency court, where child maltreatment cases are heard, specifically court participation in collaborative activities and court practice improvements."
The author looks at domestic violence among women on welfare, the impact on children who are exposed to violence in the home, and methods to increase the stability of marriages.
Domestic Violence as a Form of Child Abuse: Identification and Prevention
By looking at the ways child exposure to domestic violence manifests itself during the various stages of a child's life, the author documents ways to identify problems in exposed children and discusses specific intervention strategies.
Domestic Violence is associated with environmental suppression of IQ in young children
The researchers document the consequences of early childhood stress, such as exposure to domestic violence, on brain development, which subsequently can lead to a lower IQ.
Domestic violence laws in Australia
The report analyzes domestic violence legislation in all Australian States and Territories and in New Zealand in order to assist the Australian Government’s National Plan to Reduce Violence Against Women and their Children. The report notes gaps and overlaps between State and Territory domestic violence protection orders and the Family Law Act 1975.
This is part of a series that was created through a collaboration of the Vermont Network Against Domestic and Sexual Violence, the Vermont Department for Children and Families and the Vermont Center for Crime Victim Services. Part VI discusses actual and perceived conflicts of interest when service providers act in more than one role or relationship, providing recommendations on how to address these dilemmas/questions.
Effects of Domestic Violence on Children
Binnie discusses the resulting behaviors and manifestations of child exposure to domestic violence, variables/demographics that impact the response, and patterns of abuse, with a focus on Iowa laws.
Effects of Domestic Violence on Children and Adolescents: An Overview
The article examines the prevalence and domestic violence as a cause of traumatic stress in children.
A discussion about the impact of domestic violence characterizes this document, and is supplemented with a review of the impact at the various stages of child development.
Eliminating Violence against Children (pdf)
"Jointly produced by UNICEF and the Inter-Parliamentary Union, this handbook describes measures parliamentarians can take to end violence against children: they can legislate, oversee government activities, allocate financial resources and, as leaders in their nations and communities, raise awareness of issues."
Emerging issues in domestic/family violence research
"This paper presents an overview of the key emerging issues in Australian domestic and family violence research in the context of gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and intersex communities; the elderly; those with disabilities; people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds; Indigenous communities; homelessness; the impact on children; and issues around perpetrator programs."
Emerging Responses to Children Exposed to Domestic Violence
"This document reviews the new research, policies, and programs focused on children who have witnessed adult domestic violence. It argues that the diversity of children’s experiences requires equally diverse responses from those who serve them."
This paper was originally delivered as a talk at the Violence Institute of New Jersey, June 21, 2000. This paper discusses the links between the abuse of women and the maltreatment of their children and the connection between domestic violence and poverty.
Exposure to Violence: Psychological and Academic Correlates in Child Witnesses
2001 Report. Inner-city children are frequently exposed to violence; however, there are few data regarding the psychological and academic correlates of such exposure in young children at school entry. This study aims to document exposure to violence in inner-city children aged 7 years; assess their feelings of distress; and evaluate the relationships of exposure to violence with school performance, behavior, and self-esteem.
Exposure to Violence: Psychological and Academic Correlates in Child Witnesses
2001 Report. Inner-city children are frequently exposed to violence; however, there are few data regarding the psychological and academic correlates of such exposure in young children at school entry. This study aims to document exposure to violence in inner-city children aged 7 years; assess their feelings of distress; and evaluate the relationships of exposure to violence with school performance, behavior, and self-esteem.
Fact Sheet: The Effects of Domestic Violence on Children (pdf)
"Addresses the impact of domestic violence on children and the likelihood that men who abuse their partners will also abuse their children. Lists statistics that reflect the most recent research concerning the effects of domestic violence on children."
Family Court Statistics: an overview of Family Court Statistics in New Zealand 2004 to 2008
This bulletin analyzes, between 2004 and 2008, the four main areas that come under the jurisdiction of the Family Court in New Zealand, including family violence and child protection.
Family Violence: Open Directory Project
This page is a comprehensive list of links to various organizations and websites that provide information and resources about children and domestic violence.
Farsi Lifetime Spiral of Gender Violence (pdf)
Farsi translation of the Lifetime Spiral of Gender Violence. It locates a range of abuses and abusers in the lives of girls and women, revealing patterns of victimization and perpetration.
Fathering After Violence: Working with Abusive Fathers in Supervised Visitation (pdf)
This guide is intended to assist the grantees of the Safe Havens: Supervised Visitation and Safe Exchange Grant Program that want to enhance the safety and well-being of women and children by working more deliberately with abusive fathers who use the centers to visit their children.
Fourth National Incidence Study of Child Abuse and Neglect (NIS-4)
"The NIS is a congressionally mandated, periodic research effort to assess the incidence of child abuse and neglect in the United States. The NIS gathers information from multiple sources to estimate the number of children who are abused or neglected, providing information about the nature and severity of the maltreatment, the characteristics of the children, perpetrators, and families, and the extent of changes in the incidence or distribution of child maltreatment since the time of the last national incidence study."
Guidelines for Responding to the Co-occurrence of Child Maltreatment and Domestic Violence (pdf)
The purpose of these Guidelines is to provide direction to child protection staff when responding to situations in which child maltreatment and domestic violence are both occurring.
Guiding Principles for Safe Havens: Supervised Visitation and Safe Exchange Grant Program (pdf)
"This document was designed to guide the development and administration of Supervised Visitation Program centers with an eye toward addressing the needs of child(ren) and adult victims of domestic violence in visitation and exchange settings. The Guiding Principles look beyond the visitation setting to address how communities funded under the Supervised Visitation Program should address domestic violence in the larger community."
Healing the Invisible Wounds: Children's Exposure to Violence A Guide for Families (pdf)
"This booklet helps parents and other caregivers understand the potential impact of exposure to violence on the development of their children, and provides practical suggestions for supporting the healing process."
Health Care Costs Associated with Violence in Pennsylvania (pdf)
"Reports the impact of violence in Pennsylvania including interpersonal violence (homicide, aggravated assault, rape) domestic violence (partner, child and elder abuse) and self-directed violence (suicide and attempted suicide)."
Healthy Development: A Summit on Children’s Mental Health (pdf)
"This report was compiled from a 2009 Summit that brought together a comprehensive group of stakeholders in child and family mental health with the goal of promoting children’s mental health. The report addresses issues such as the prevalence of children’s mental health, gaps in service, current research and public perceptions of mental health, and provides recommendations."
Healthy Marriage and the Legacy of Child Maltreatment: A Child Welfare Perspective (pdf)
"This brief explores how childhood experiences, specifically child maltreatment and involvement with the child welfare system, impact the potential for a healthy, lasting marriage. The author also offers recommendations for addressing the unique needs of couples in which one or both partners have experienced childhood maltreatment."
Helping Children Cope with Violence: A School-Based Program That Works (pdf)
Violence is one of our most significant public health issues. Children exposed to violence frequently develop post-traumatic stress symptoms. They are more likely to have behavioral problems, poorer school performance, more days of school absence, and feelings of depression and anxiety. School officials are often willing to provide help at school. But these professionals face an important question: What works? There have been no randomized controlled trials of intervention effectiveness with which to answer this question. To fill this gap, a team of clinician-researchers from several institutions collaborated to develop, implement, and evaluate an intervention designed to help children traumatized by violence. The team included professionals from the RAND Corporation, the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA), and the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD).
Helping Children Exposed to Domestic Violence: Law Enforcement and Community Partnerships (pdf)
March 2001 report. Discusses law enforcement and community responses to children who have been exposed to domestic violence.
This 76-page resource is written for service providers assisting women who have survived woman abuse. Material addresses the needs of abused women as mothers, how abusive men parent, how abusive men affect family dynamics, effects of power and control tactics on mothers, the potential impact of woman abuse on children of different ages, and strategies used by young people to cope with violence in their homes. Guidance on parenting children who have lived with violence is also offered. Forty-four pages are designed as handouts for women, to be distributed as an adjunct to individual or group interventions on woman abuse or on parenting.
Helping Traumatized Children at School
A paper that discusses school interventions for traumatized children. It provides some of the guidelines and resources for use when youth's traumas affect their ability to function at school.
Helping Traumatized Children: Tips for Judges (pdf)
"This fact sheet for judges and other court personnel outlines the impact of trauma on children's development, beliefs, and behaviors. It is designed to help professionals in the juvenile justice and family court system become more effective in addressing the unique needs and challenges of the traumatized children and adolescents they work with."
In this article, which is part of the Spring 2011 issue of Family Violence Prevention Fund's e-Journal: Family Violence Prevention and Health Practice, Dr. Megan Bair-Merritt provides an overview of what we know about the impact of home visiting programs on IPV. She begins by describing how intimate partner violence (IPV) affects children’s heath, and includes the latest research on home visitation interventions to address IPV. The article concludes with five recommendations for translating research into policy and best practices.
"The authors review the literature on resilience following childhood maltreatment and describe how variation in the measurement of outcomes at various developmental stages affects research findings, practice implications, and policy recommendations."
How Children Are Involved in Adult Domestic Violence: Results From a Four City Telephone Survey (pdf)
This article, which was published in Vol. 18, No. 1 of the Journal of Interpersonal Violence (2003), summarizes a study that collected direct reports on domestic violence events. Information was gathered through anonymous telephone interviews with 114 battered mothers in four metropolitan areas across the United States, eliciting detailed information from the women on their children’s observations and responses to the violence being committed against the mothers. The article concludes with recommendations for a greater emphasis on careful assessment of children’s involvement in domestic violence incidents and on assisting mothers to achieve economic stability as well as safety.
How to obtain U Interim Relief: A Brief Manual for Advocates Assisting Immigrant Victims of Crime (pdf)
This manual provides U Visa information for advocates who assist victims of crime, including domestic violence. The author outlines the definition, requirements, and application process for U Visa Interim relief and also offers information on obtaining permanent residency and derivative status for family members.
The guidelines offered here provide specific recommendations for screening and responding to domestic violence in child health settings, which provide a unique and important opportunity to screen for domestic violence and to educate parents about the impact of such violence on children. These guidelines also speak to the need for child health providers to engage in, model, and take leadership in delivering effective primary prevention of domestic violence, as well as other types of family and community violence, by highlighting violence prevention during well child and other routine visits, as a component of routine anticipatory guidance.
This is a briefing paper prepared for a Wingspread Conference of a similar title. It discusses family violence, specifically against women and children, barriers to helping the victims, and the importance of collaboration to effect change.
Infant Exposure to Domestic Violence Predicts Heightened Sensitivity to Adult Verbal Conflict (pdf)
The results of this article found that infants do respond negatively to verbal conflict in the environment.
Intergenerational Transmission of Partner Violence: A 20-Year Prospective Study (pdf)
An unselected sample of 543 children was followed over 20 years to test the independent effects of parenting, exposure to domestic violence between parents (ETDV), maltreatment, adolescent disruptive behavior disorders, and emerging adult substance abuse disorders (SUDs) on the risk of violence to and from an adult partner.
Interpersonal violence and alcohol (pdf)
This report by the World Health Organization presents research on the relation between alcohol and violence. It suggests that alcohol is a situational determinant which increases the risk of most types of violence. Hazardous and harmful use of alcohol has also been shown to be an important consequence of experiencing or witnessing most forms of violence, but especially child maltreatment and intimate partner violence.
Intersection of Child Abuse and Children's Exposure to Domestic Violence
"This review addresses research on the overlap in physical child abuse and domestic violence, the prediction of child outcomes, and resilience in children exposed to family violence."
Intimate or Childhood Sexual Abuse and Obesity in Kentucky
This study concluded that sexual abuse, whether experienced as an adult or child, was associated with a 32% increase in obesity among 4,391 women in Kentucky. The study also found that intimate partner violence and obesity are common health threats for women. The authors suggest that efforts to prevent physical and sexual abuse and mental health consequences of abuse on victims can have implications to improve women's health.
It All Starts At Home: Male Adolescent Violence to Mothers (pdf)
This research examined male adolescents' abuse and violence to their sole parent mothers living in Australia. The research highlighted cultural, intra-generational and intergenerational issues relating to family violence, as well as the significant and lasting cumulative impact on the women, where the abuse was experienced from the women's ex-partners and their sons.
Keeping Children Safe When Parents Are Arrested: Local Approaches That Work
This report presents protocols developed by four California communities that coordinated responses between child welfare services and law enforcement when parents are arrested. The report found that there were decreased trauma rates in the communities, fewer children taken into custody by child protective services, and increased positive interaction between parents, communities, and law enforcement.
Korean Lifetime Spiral of Gender Violence (pdf)
"Korean translation of the Lifetime Spiral of Gender Violence. The spiral implicitly locates a range of abuses in the lives of girls and women, revealing patterns of victimization and perpetration. The Lifetime Spiral is designed to be used by everyone to identify histories of violence in their own lives or in the lives of family and friends."
Learning to Listen, Learning to Help: Understanding Woman Abuse and Its Effects on Children (pdf)
A concise handbook for students and volunteers entering the helping professions, to prepare them to recognize and respond to families in which there is or was violence at home. Topics include background material on the dynamics of woman abuse, the concept of power and control, facts and figures, how to support women and help them find appropriate resources, how children are affected by violence, how children cope with violence at home, how to respond to child disclosure of abuse and neglect, standards of professional conduct, taking stock of your own attitudes, and suggestions for how you can make a difference to end violence.
Little eyes, little ears: How violence against a mother shapes children as they grow (pdf)
This comprehensive 44 page document is divided by topics that cover facts and figures, types of abuse against women and children, ways a child can be impacted by domestic violence, myths about women and abuse, copin strategies, and responding and reporting, among others.
"This report from the FRIENDS National Resource Center for Community-Based Child Abuse Prevention provides and overview of a range of prevention strategies that have been found to have some evidence of being able to preventing child abuse and neglect. "
Mandatory Reporting of Child Abuse and Neglect: State Statutes and Professional Ethics (pdf)
A comprehensive listing of state statutes on mandatory reporting of child abuse and neglect. Also included is a listing of reporting requirements and code of ethics for professionals in various fields.
Mental Health Services for Children Who Witness Domestic Violence
This article discusses the growing body of empirical research that demonstrates that exposure to domestic violence deleteriously affects children's social, emotional, and cognitive development.
Mothers and Children: Understanding the Links Between Woman Battering and Child Abuse
This is a briefing paper for a strategic planning meeting on the Violence Against Women Act. "This paper focuses on an important gap in our current understandings of family violence: the link between woman battering and child abuse. It is surprising that after so many years of public attention it is only in recent years that a discussion of this link has begun to appear in the literature. At present, there is much more we need to know about the overlap between woman and child abuse."
Multi-Agency Practice Guidelines: Handling Cases of Forced Marriage (pdf)
"This report lists warning signs and appropriate actions for teachers and other school employees to take when they suspect a forced marriage of a child is imminent. The report also contains guidelines for police officers, health care professionals, and social workers, and provides general information on good practices when caring for victims of forced marriage."
This series was created through a collaboration of the Vermont Network Against Domestic and Sexual Violence, the Vermont Department for Children and Families and the Vermont Center for Crime Victim Services. Part V describes the structure and purpose of child protection teams, provides guiding questions for domestic violence advocate members of such teams and highlights recommendations.
National Center for Children Exposed to Violence
It is the mission of the National Center for Children Exposed to Violence (NCCEV) to increase the capacity of individuals and communities to reduce the incidence and impact of violence on children and families; to train and support the professionals who provide intervention and treatment to children and families affected by violence; and, to increase professional and public awareness of the effects of violence on children, families, communities and society.
Not Enough: What TANF Offers Family Violence Victims (pdf)
Based on a national survey of service providers, this report is a comprehensive effort to understand when TANF successfully assists victims of family violence, and when the program falls short.
Overlap of Domestic Violence and Child Maltreatment in U.S. State Civil and Criminal Statutes
This April 2000 table lists statutes alphabetically by state.
Parental Alienation Syndrome and Parental Alienation: Research Reviews (pdf)
This VAWnet document provides a historical and research overview of Parental Alienation Syndrome and Parental Alienation, identifies strategic issues for advocates working with victims, and offers guidelines to improve courts’ treatment of these issues.
Parenting in the Context of Domestic Violence (pdf)
This report describes children’s exposure to domestic violence, the needs of both parents and children in the context of domestic violence events, and the resources available to help them.
Patrick Stewart: the legacy of domestic violence
In this article, the actor describes how he regularly saw his father hit his mother and how the horrors of his childhood experiences remained with him throughout his adult life.
Police in the Lives of Young Children Exposed to Domestic Violence (pdf)
This paper is part of series of paper that addresses the way to mobilize community and programatic resources to provide responsive help to children and families affected both by domestic violence and poverty. This particular paper explores the important roles the police officer can play in assisting children and families experiencing domestic violence.
Preventing violence and reducing its impact: How development agencies can help (pdf)
This document makes the case for increased attention on the impact of violence on development by international development agencies. A key aim is to stimulate dialogue on the role of international development agencies in the prevention of violence globally, and ultimately to increase investment in a commonly agreed set of applied violence prevention strategies. The primary audience for this document is policy-makers, high-level planners, and others in the international development field.
Promising Approaches: Working with Families, Child Welfare and Domestic Violence (pdf)
The purpose of this brochure is to provide a framework for mandated reporters to create family centered approaches when domestic violence is identified and to offer guidelines to assist mandated reporters to assess accurately and sympathetically, the impact of domestic violence on children and their families.
Prosecutors, Kids, and Domestic Violence Cases (pdf)
"This article describes some of the issues prosecutors should be aware of when they handle domestic violence cases involving children, especially in light of recent legislation aiming to protect children."
This 145 page article is a comprehensive review and critical discussion about the laws and child protection responses that have shown to be effective.
Punjabi Lifetime Spiral of Gender Violence (pdf)
"Punjabi translation of the Lifetime Spiral of Gender Violence. The spiral implicitly locates a range of abuses in the lives of girls and women, revealing patterns of victimization and perpetration. The Lifetime Spiral is designed to be used by everyone to identify histories of violence in their own lives or in the lives of family and friends."
Realizing the Promise of Home Visitation: Addressing Domestic Violence and Child Maltreatment (pdf)
"This guide is intended to help policy makers and advocates build a strong national policy framework to maximize the effectiveness and reach of early childhood home visiting programs. It is intended to ensure that federal home visiting policies directly address: the needs of mothers and children who are experiencing or at risk of experiencing domestic violence, the link between domestic violence and child abuse and neglect, and the impact of domestic violence on the health and well-being of children and families."
Reasonable Efforts Checklist for Dependency Cases Involving Domestic Violence (pdf)
"This checklist includes easy reference bench cards for judges to consult during removal, adjudication, disposition, review, permanency, and termination hearings involving domestic violence. It is designed to aid judges in making reasonable efforts findings that are required by federal law in dependency cases involving domestic violence."
Reasonable Efforts or Unrealistic Expectations: A Look at Hennepin County Child Protection Cases (pdf)
"The purpose of this report is to identify ways in which Hennepin County could provide greater support for families throughout the Children in Need of Protection or Services (CHIPS) process and improve the systems in which judges, social workers, and guardians ad litem (GAL) are operating."
Reflections from the Field: Considerations for Domestic Violence Specialists (pdf)
"Domestic violence and child protection professionals from multiple states came together to discuss the complexity of systems-change work and the continued need for a social justice framework to guide these efforts. This document is a compilation of their stories and insights as people who have worked as or supported domestic violence specialists dedicated to helping families experiencing the co-occurrence of domestic violence and child maltreatment."
This document, comprised of research from many leading experts in the field of domestic violence, lays out the case that the majority of high conflict child custody disputes have a history of domestic violence.
Responding to the Co-occurrence of Child Maltreatment and Adult Domestic Violence in Hennepin County
In this report, Drs. Edleson and Beeman and their research assistants detail information collected from a variety of sources during the first half of 1999. Information collection included detailed reporting by child protection screeners and investigators in the Hennepin County Department of Children and Family Services (HCDCFS), consulting with national experts in this area, reviewing published materials on prominent demonstration projects from around the United States and Canada, and holding a series of stakeholder meetings throughout Hennepin County.
A blog developed by David Mandel & Associates, LLC in which they will be exploring the ideas underpinning the Safe and Together model. The model provides a practical and concrete approach to improving the response of child welfare to the risk and safety concerns presented by batterers. They will be providing practical tips and ideas for policy and practice. All are welcome to participate in the discussion.
Safe From the Start: Taking Action on Children Exposed to Violence
This article, conceived from the National Summit on Children Exposed to Violence, presents an action plan that outlines principles for preventing and reducing the negative impact of children's exposure to violence.
Safe Start Promising Approaches Communities: Working Together to Help Children Exposed to Violence (pdf)
Launched by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention(OJJDP) and its Federal partners in the Department of Justice and the Department of Health and Human Services, the initiative is designed as a national framework which seeks to address the needs of children exposed to violence. This booklet describes each of the 15 Safe Start Promising Approaches communities and outlines how these programs are integrating evidence-based or promising practices as well as other complementary interventions within their geographical, agency, and community contexts.
Security Begins at Home (pdf)
The Kosova Women’s Network released the country’s first study on domestic violence, called Security Begins at Home. The report highlights key points such as: what the citizens of Kosovo perceive as domestic violence, the forms and consequences of domestic violence, citizens' response to ending it, and the legal and institutional gaps in addressing it.
Sharwline Nicholson v. Nicholas Scoppetta - Appeals Decision
This document outlines the Appeals decision regarding the case of Nicholson (filed as a class action in federal court in 2001). This history of this decision is based on the class action lawsuit in which battered mothers and their children in New York City successfully challenged the City child welfare agency's practice and policy of removing children from battered mothers and charging the mothers with child neglect due to domestic violence. The federal court ruled that the practice is unconstitutional under federal law. The case went up on appeal.
Shattered Hearts: The Commercial Sexual Exploitation of American Indian Women and Girls in Minnesota (pdf)
A groundbreaking report released by the Minnesota Indian Women’s Resource Center (MIWRC) highlights the alarming and pervasive sex trafficking of American Indian women and girls in Minnesota. The first comprehensive report of its kind, it highlights risk factors for victims that include poverty, a disproportionate number of American Indian homeless, high incidences of overall sexual assault, Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) and pervasive multi-generational trauma.
Shattered Lives: Homicides, Domestic Violence and Asian Families (pdf)
This report focuses on domestic violence related homicides as a critical issue affecting Asian, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander battered women since 2001. Types of domestic violence related homicides, children as victims, and perpetrator types are discussed. Findings and recommendations are also provided.
Should Childhood Exposure to Adult Domestic Violence Be Defined as Child Maltreatment Under the Law?
Published as a chapter in Protecting Children From Domestic Violence: Strategies for Community Intervention (2004), this article reviews the research on childhood exposure to domestic violence and emerging laws aimed at protecting these children. The author concludes with an argument against assuming that childhood exposure to violence is automatically a form of child maltreatment and suggests the need to modify child protection services and the expansion of primarily voluntary community-based responses to these children and their families.
Silent Victims Revisited: The Special Case of Domestic Violence
The authors discuss the current knowledge base on children exposed to domestic violence, the impact of such violence, and practice implications.
Social Worker's Practice Guide to Domestic Violence (pdf)
A guide created by the Department of Social and Health Services, for social workers working with domestic violence issues in the state of Washington. Includes information on how social workers should work with victims and perpetrators, child assessment of exposure to violence, as well as legal and policy issues in the state.
Starting Smart: How Early Experiences Affect Brain Development
"This report provides a straightforward summary of the interactions between early brain development, childhood emotional experiences and trauma. Drawing from this research, it concludes by making a case for increased services to counter the disadvantages faced by children who experience trauma or neglect."
Supervised Visitation Programs: Information for Mothers Who Have Experienced Abuse (pdf)
"This guide was created for mothers who have experienced abuse and whose children are involved in supervised visitation programs. The guide provides information about how the programs work and how mothers can prepare themselves and their children for the experience."
Supervised Visitation: Information for Mothers Who Have Been Abused (pdf)
"This Guide should be given directly to mothers who have experienced abuse and whose children are in supervised visitation programs. It will tell mothers basic information about how supervised visitation programs work and how she can prepare herself and her children for the experience. If she is afraid of her children’s father or was abused by him, then the information in this Guide will be particularly helpful to her."
Supporting Battered Mothers Protects Children: Reducing the Effects of Domestic Violence on Children (pdf)
This report was created in response to a request from the Chairman of the Missouri Children’s Services Commission, Representative Jeff Grisamore. It contains the latest research on the prevalence of child exposure to domestic violence and best practices in addressing this violence. The report also includes recommendations on how the state of Missouri can better meet the needs of children and mothers experiencing violence.
Tackling Domestic Violence: Providing Support for Children Who Have Witnessed Domestic Violence (pdf)
"This report provides good practice recommendations and suggestions for a range of practitioners and professionals who have a role in commissioning, developing, or delivering initiatives to support children who have in the past or are currently witenssing domestic violence."
Tagalog Lifetime Spiral of Gender Violence (pdf)
"Tagalog translation of the Lifetime Spiral of Gender Violence. The spiral implicitly locates a range of abuses in the lives of girls and women, revealing patterns of victimization and perpetration. The Lifetime Spiral is designed to be used by everyone to identify histories of violence in their own lives or in the lives of family and friends."
"This free advanced domestic violence curriculum outlines safely preparing for and managing effective meetings, engaging parents around domestic violence issues, assessing the impact of children’s exposure to domestic violence, and making decisions and plans to increase safety for children and battered mothers."
Technology Safety & Advocacy Special Collection
This special collection includes a categorized and annotated listing of selected articles, fact sheets, papers, reports and other materials regarding the use of technology as it impacts and intersects with violence against women and children. It is offered as an additional tool to assist advocates working on and interested in the safe use of technology.
This is a Canadian study, the objective of which was to examine the child welfare system’s response to child maltreatment investigations substantiated for exposure to domestic violence (EDV). The study is based on a secondary analysis of data collected in the 2003 Canadian Incidence Study of Reported Child Abuse and Neglect.
This document displays the results of a comparative overview of the child welfare response within Canadian boundaries to child exposure to domestic violence. Implications for policy are discussed.
The Effects of Childhood Stress on Health Across the Lifespan
"This document summarizes the available research on childhood stress and its long-term consequences. Of particular interest is the stress caused by child abuse, neglect, and repeated exposure to intimate partner violence."
The Effects of Family and Community Violence on Children
This document is a review of the current literature on the impact that various types of violence exposure has on children.
The Epidemiology of Trauma and Trauma-Related Disorders in Children and Youth (pdf)
"This publication reviews general population studies, disaster research, child maltreatment studies, and special population studies that report the prevalence of PTSD in children, adolescents, and young adults. It includes a brief discussion of the cumulative adverse effects of traumatic stress experienced from infancy through adolescence."
The Facts on Children and Domestic Violence (pdf)
Outlined in this document is a list of statistics related to domestic violence and its impact on children and pregnancy.
The Facts on Health Care & Domestic Violence (pdf)
"Statistics on domestic violence incidents highlighting health consequences to the victim, children's health issues, hospital and other health service costs, identification and screening practices in health care settings, and domestic violence during and after pregnancy."
The Future of the Grave Risk Of Harm Defense in Hague Cases
This article discusses the future of the grave risk of harm defense in Hague Convention international child abduction cases. It provides an interpretation of the Hague Convention in the traditional view as well as in the context of domestic violence. Examples of court rulings are provided which evaluated the nature of abuse and the likelihood of legal protection in the country to which the children are being returned.
The Greenbook Initiative Final Evaluation Report (pdf)
"The Greenbook national evaluation results are presented in three reports. The Greenbook Demonstration Initiative: Process Evaluation Report: Phase 1 focused on the planning and goal setting phase of the Greenbook initiative in the sites. This final evaluation report assesses the extent to which the Greenbook implementation activities facilitated cross-system and within system change and practice in the child welfare agencies, dependency courts, and domestic violence service providers."
The Impact of Conflict on Women and Girls in West and Central Africa and the UNICEF response (pdf)
"This first-of-its-kind study by UNICEF on the situation of war-affected girls and women in the region highlights innovative programmes being implemented with partners to address the impact of conflict, and recommends how UNICEF can more proactively champion the rights of girls - particularly adolescent girls."
The Overlap Between Child Maltreatment and Woman Abuse
Reviews over 35 studies on the overlap between child maltreatment and woman battering in the same families. This paper has now been published in Violence Against Women, 1999, 5(2), pp. 134-154 and is no longer available on this site. This link, however, goes to a brief VAWnet paper on the topic.
The prevalence of child abuse and neglect
"A resource sheet that summarizes the current knowledge about the prevalence of child abuse and neglect in Australia. It provides an overview of Australian studies that have estimated the prevalence of the different forms of child maltreatment."
The Psychological Maltreatment of Children -Technical Report (2002)
"Psychological maltreatment is a common consequence of physical and sexual abuse but also may occur as a distinct entity. Until recently, there has been controversy regarding the definition and consequences of psychological maltreatment. Sufficient research and consensus now exist about the incidence, definition, risk factors, and consequences of psychological maltreatment."
The Relationship Between Domestic Violence and Child Abuse (pdf)
"Cites surveys and reports published between 1987 and 1996, briefly describing: what is domestic violence; what is child abuse; how does domestic violence affect children; and similarities/correlations between domestic violence and/or child abuse."
The framework of the Safe and Together model provides a methodology for improving child welfare competencies and cross system collaboration between child welfare and its community partners.
The Safe Start Center Series on Children Exposed to Violence: Pediatric Care Settings (pdf)
This issue brief translates emerging research and program practice into action steps for practitioners in pediatric care settings to design and implement programs that meet the needs of children who are exposed to violence.
The VAWA Manual: Immigration Relief for Abused Immigrants (pdf)
Manual on the preparation, filing and processing of applications pursuant to the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). Also includes detailed information on Special Immigrant Juvenile Status for Children Under Juvenile Court Jurisdiction, and U and T Non-Immigrant Visas (Victims of Crime and Trafficking). A good resource for advocates and legal professionals working with these victims.
This document takes some time to download, especially with a slow connection.
The VAWA Manual: Immigration Relief for Abused Immigrants, Index of Appendices 1-100 (pdf)
Contains a list of appendices in connection with The VAWA Manual: Immigration Relief for Abused Immigrants.
The VAWA Manual: Immigration Relief for Abused Immigrants, Index of Appendices 101-200 (pdf)
Contains a list of appendices in connection with The VAWA Manual: Immigration Relief for Abused Immigrants.
The VAWA Manual: Immigration Relief for Abused Immigrants, Index of Appendices 301-380 (pdf)
Contains a list of appendices in connection with The VAWA Manual: Immigration Relief for Abused Immigrants.
Trauma Informed Care Resources for Children Exposed to Violence
Exposure to violence at home, in the form of child abuse and neglect, or in the community, whether at school or in the neighborhood, can affect young people in profound ways. This resource provides information on children's exposure to violence for parents and other caregivers, as well as for teachers and other agencies and staff who may work with these youth. Information includes warning signs of exposure to violence and what you can do to intervene.
Trauma-Informed Care for Children Exposed to Violence:Tips for Parents and Other Caregivers (pdf)
Fact sheet like break down of warning signs that a child has been exposed to violence depending on age, and what you can do to help.
U.N. Report of the independent expert for the United Nations study on violence against children (pdf)
"This report provides a global picture of violence against children and proposes recommendations to prevent and respond to this issue. It provides information on the incidence of various types of violence against children within the family, schools, alternative care institutions and detention facilities, places where children work and communities. "
UN study on Violence Against Children
"A press release on a new effort to provide a detailed global picture of the nature, extent and causes of violence against children, and propose clear recommendations for action to prevent and reduce such violence. The study focuses on violence against children in five settings: the home and family, schools and educational settings, other institutional settings (orphanages, children in conflict with the law), the community and on the streets, and work situations. "
Understanding Children’s Exposure to Violence (pdf)
The Safe Start Center has developed a series of briefs on Children Exposed to Violence. The briefs are developed to respond to an urgent need to translate research-based information and disseminate it to practitioners who can use it in their work with children and families in different settings. This particular brief describes core concepts—gleaned from research and program practice—used in designing and implementing programs that address children’s exposure to violence.
This is currently the final publication in the series created through a collaboration of the Vermont Network Against Domestic and Sexual Violence, the Vermont Department for Children and Families and the Vermont Center for Crime Victim Services. Part VII reports on findings from a study investigating the number of children/youth in Vermont exposed to domestic violence, the effects of this exposure on their social/emotional development and mental health, services provided by domestic violence network and mental health programs, perceived barriers to providing these services, the training needs of service providers in Vermont and both strengths and gaps in the continuum of services for these children/youth.
United Nations Report on Violence Against Children
The report describes the scope and nature of violence against children and its impact, approaching its subject from the perspectives of human rights, child protection, and public health. The report is available in 8 languages.
"The intent of this protocol is to assist law enforcement officers in their response to children at the scene of domestic violence incidents. In addition, the protocol outlines an effective response which includes: assessing whether children have been physically harmed, minimizing the impact and repercussions to children who are present, empowering children as much as possible in the process, maintaining victim safety, and maintaining batterer accountability."
This document is part I of a series created through a collaboration of the Vermont Network Against Domestic and Sexual Violence, the Vermont Department for Children and Families and the Vermont Center for Crime Victim Services. Part I describes the philosophy and structure of the "coordinated approach" as it impacts the three primary areas of services, training and policy. Lessons learned are highlighted.
Violence Against Women Document Library
A huge variety of information and resources are categorized by topics relating to children and domestic violence, including information about advocacy, child custody and protection, and criminal justice responses.
Violence in Families: Assessing Prevention and Treatment Programs
This is a full-text online book made available courtesy of The National Academies Press. This important book, published in 1998, details out chapter by chapter the different types of interventions to be utilized by different types of professionals, as well as makes recommendations.
Violence in the Lives of Children (pdf)
"This data brief from Child Trends reviews data on the types of violence experienced by U.S. children, including exposure to violence through media to abuse by parents and peers. Differences by age, gender, and race/ethnicity are discussed along with priorities for filling gaps in the data that is available on this topic."
Vision for services for children and young people affected by domestic violence (pdf)
Vision for services for children and young people affected by domestic violence offers a pathway for services for children experiencing domestic violence. This guidance offers a template which directors of children's services, cabinet members with lead responsibility for children and their local safeguarding children's boards, working with domestic violence partnerships can use to incorporate the needs of children experiencing domestic violence in planning children's services.
What About Me? Seeking to Understand the Child's View of Violence in the Family (pdf)
This study was funded by the National Crime Prevention Strategy in Ottawa. It involves an exhaustive review of the literature on child exposure to domestic violence (almost 400 sources) integrated with extensive clinical experience to create a revolutionary new framework for understanding, studying and intervening with children who have lived with woman abuse. Case studies illustrate key points and child drawings bring to life the experience of violence through young eyes.
What Is Trauma and Why Is It Important?
This is the first issue in a series focusing on trauma and child welfare systems. This issue defines trauma and describes its significance. Successive issues will highlight childhood trauma in the context of culture and identify ways in which child welfare systems can best respond to children.
When Battered Women Stay... Advocacy Beyond Leaving
"This paper raises the key issues, questions, and dilemmas regarding advocacy with battered women who stay in their relationships. It discusses the limitations of safety strategies for leaving, and frames the issues central to the expansion of advocacy beyond leaving, including: 1) safety planning and advocacy with victims who stay; 2) ending violent and controlling behavior; and 3) knowing what children need to be OK."
When Children Experience Domestic Violence: Expert Opinion
This document includes a summary of a ruling made by a New York Judge to stop removing children from battered women because children of such women are exposed to domestic violence.
Widening Our Lens (pdf)
"This brochure presents a comprehensive strategy to address the impact of child maltreatment, interpersonal, and family violence on youth."
Witnessing Domestic Violence: The Effect on Children
The author discusses the conequences of child exposure to domestic violence across various ages, as well as prevention and screening techniques. Community advocacy is emphasized.
Witnessing Violence Fact Sheet
The authors discuss the types of violence that children witness, prevlance rates, correlates, and future directions for research.
Working with Children Towards a Healthy & Non-Violent Future
"This Special Collection provides a unique perspective on working with children (younger than 13 years of age), focusing on theories and strategies for raising respectful, non-violent people. Resources included here discuss child development and how to utilize this knowledge when implementing primary prevention strategies that foster healthy attitudes and behaviors"
This paper is part of series of papers that addresses the way to mobilize community and programatic resources to provide responsive help to children and families affected both by domestic violence and poverty. This particular paper addresses the way to offer support and safety for children while maintaining safety, autonomy and choide for battered women.
Working with Young Men Who Batter: Current Strategies and New Directions
This article offers an overview of the recent juvenile batterer intervention programs. It identifies risk factors for teen dating violence perpetration as described by the literature and considers the utility of these findings, describes efforts to prevent re-offenses by juvenile perpetrators of domestic violence, discusses several shortcomings inherent in post-crisis intervention, and outlines current challenges within the field.
World Report on Violence against Children
"This book addresses all violence against children within the family, schools, alternative care institutions and detention facilities, places where children work and communities. It lists the relevant international and national legal instruments and standards. It also describes the nature and impact of all forms of violence, indicating possible risk and causal factors. Finally, and most important, based on existing evidence and concrete examples, it provides detailed recommendation on measures to be taken to enhance the protection of children from violence."
Young Children Living with Domestic Violence: The Role of Early Childhood Programs (pdf)
This paper is part of series of paper that addresses the way to mobilize community and programatic resources to provide responsive help to children and families affected both by domestic violence and poverty. This particular paper highlights the rold of early childhood programs in supporting staff, community and state programs on behalf of the children and families affected by domestic violence.
This paper is part of series of paper that addresses the way to mobilize community and programatic resources to provide responsive help to children and families affected both by domestic violence and poverty. This particular paper addresses impacts of adult domestic violence to young children through developmental risk and resiliency.
This handbook contains information that will help you learn about: domestic violence and its impact on adolescents; evaluating risk and safety planning for victims of domestic violence; coordinated justice responses to domestic violence and the role of juvenile custody programs and probation; risk assessment and reduction with adolescent perpetrators of intimate partner and family violence; promising practices for adolescent perpetrators of intimate partner and family violence; and resources on domestic violence for adolescent victims and perpetrators.
Child welfare
15 Years of the United Nations Rapporteur on Violence against Women, Its Causes and Consequences (pdf)
This report reviews the status of violence against women as researched in 14 annual reports, 32 country mission reports, and 11 communication reports published as recently as December 2008. The report focuses on reproductive health and rights, poverty, migration, internally displaced persons (IDPs), women refugees, trafficking, aging, and adolescent girls. It also highlights how the mandate on violence against women has changed, what has been learned, and problems still to be addressed.
2009 KIDS COUNT Data Book: State Profiles of Child Well-being (pdf)
This 20th annual KIDS COUNT Data Book provides national and state-by-state information and statistical trends on the conditions of America’s children and families. The book reports on indicators of educational achievement, economic well-being, and health, among others. The book also ranks states on a composite indicator of child wellness, aggregating measures such as infant mortality rate, graduation rates, and children in poverty.
"This paper examines the process Vermont used, including areas of both agreement and uncertainty, and introduces the protocol to a wider audience of interveners. It draws on a review of planning notes and other documents and a series of interviews with those who participated in shaping the process and the protocol. It provides a starting point for other communities to explore their own response to children at domestic violence incidents, as well as an approach that can be used to examine other aspects of intervention."
A Judicial Guide to Child Safety in Custody Cases (pdf)
"This Judicial Guide contains 14 bench cards which provide an easy-to-use checklist system for judges at critical decision-making points throughout child custody cases, as well as a supplemental guide which provides additional information about in- and out-of-court behaviors, best interest of the child, and order issuance and enforcement. "
ABA Commission on Domestic Violence eNewsletter on DV and Child Protection
An e-newsletter featuring articles from experts on the intersection of domestic violence and child protection.
Accountability and Connection with Abusive Men (pdf)
"This document is an effort to remedy the excessive focus on mothers in cases involving domestic violence. It provides suggestions for connecting with and holding abusers accountable. It is a resource for child protection workers, supervisors, managers and others working with families involved in the child protection system."
This report offers an analysis and recommendations to address the impact of domestic violence and child welfare systems in communities of color. Six culture-specific organizations were partnered with to create a multi-dimensional analysis for this report. The Dialogues section offers analysis and describes some of the common findings and issues, while the Recommendations section addresses these issues. Thus, critiques and system changes go hand in hand, and are offered in the spirit of constructive engagement and strengthening communities
Adaptation Guidelines for Serving Latino Children and Families Affected by Trauma (pdf)
"This document was created by experts in the fields of child trauma research, clinical practice, policy and cultural diversity to serve as a resource for anyone who works with Latino families who have experienced traumatic events. There are 12 priority areas covered ranging from micro issues (assessment and provision of therapy) to macro issues (organizational competence and policy). Each one includes an overview of the priority area, recommendations for improving practice based on that priority area, and additional resources for further information. Portions of these guidelines are geared for advocates and therapists, while other priority areas are designed for program administrators and policy makers."
Addressing Gender-based Violence: UNFPA Strategy and Framework for Action (pdf)
This report, grounded in UNFPA's overarching goal of eliminating violence against women and girls, identifies particular areas where action is most urgently needed and proposes general policy frameworks for combating gender-based violence.
Advocacy Beyond Leaving: Helping Battered Women in Contact With Current or Former Partners (pdf)
A guide for domestic violence advocates providing information on improving outreach and responses to domestic violence victims who are in contact with their partners or children’s fathers. This guide addresses how to identify safety strategies, find resources and to know what to say when a victim’s focus and goals are to remain in contact, remain in the relationship or to improve their children’s relationship with their father.
Advocacy Matters: Helping Mothers and Their Children Involved with the Child Protection System (pdf)
This publication gives domestic violence experts the information they need to deal successfully with child protection systems and to help battered mothers whose children have been removed from their care. Advocacy Matters includes general information and tips that help advocates better address the needs of battered mothers and their children.
The handbook consisits of various practical forms which were developed by advocates to evaluate criminal justice services for women in cases of rape, domestic violence and child abuse. It also has theoretical chapters on understanding how criminal justice systems can help and harm women.
Balancing the Harms - Protecting Children
The author addresses the need for change in the child protection system and the current means through which children are removed from the home in domestic violence situations. The page provides a short video clip from the author's work-in-progress which addresses actual cases.
Battered Women and Their Children
Battered Women and Their Children is a website devoted to a professional and scholarly examination of the connections between domestic violence (woman abuse) and child maltreatment (child abuse and neglect).
"The purpose of this study was to learn how CPS can be more responsive to families experiencing domestic violence and child abuse and neglect; learn how domestic violence advocates can be more effective in helping clients to respond to allegations of or actual child abuse and neglect and CPS interventions; explore how community can be more responsive to partner abuse and child abuse and neglect and provide support to families involved with CPS; and experiment with a research design that accomplishes the first step of participatory research and at the same time empowers advocates and survivors."
Battered Women's Reports of Their Partner's and Children's Cruelty to Animals (pdf)
"This research study describes how abuse of pets is a method employed by batterers to control their partners, contributes to the impact on children exposed to violence, and may also be related to batterers' lethality."
Batterer Accountability: Responding to Child Maltreatment and Domestic Violence
"This paper outlines the philosophical basis of best practice that is rooted in batterer accountability - and it outlines the consequences to children when programs are not so rooted. The paper goes on to talk about all the things advocates can do to push system change that fully integrates batterer accountability, provides excellent advocacy to victims, supports CPS collaborators and looks at alternative models for dependencies and termination of parent rights."
Beyond Observation: Considerations for Advancing Domestic Violence Practice in Supervised Visitation (pdf)
"This paper presents considerations for expanded practice in the Supervised Visitation Grant Program and describes interventions that go beyond observation in the supervised visitation setting."
Bringing the Greenbook to Life: a Resource Guide for Communities (pdf)
"This guide is designed for communities seeking to develop interventions that will improve their responses to families suffering both domestic violence and child maltreatment."
Building Bridges Between Domestic Violence Organizations and Child Protective Services
This paper provides both background information and a framework for collaboration with child protection agencies that will support the work of domestic violence advocates as they try to improve safety for women and their children.
Building Capacity in Child Welfare Systems: Domestic Violence Specialized Positions (pdf)
"The report seeks to assist policymakers and practitioners in developing specialist positions that are tailored to the circumstances of their communities and states. We offer observations about initial expectations for these positions and the evolution of the positions over time. We also set forth composite examples of each of the major types of specialized positions and lay out the components of each, including responsibilities, auspices and settings, competencies, and funding sources. By doing so, we highlight different approaches to improving understanding 2 of domestic violence and strengthening the likelihood of achieving safety for non-offending parents and their children."
Building Safety for Battered Women and Their Children into the Child Protection System (pdf)
This is a report based on three separate consultations by Praxis with communities wanting to explore the use of the Safety and Accountability Audit in child protection cases where there has been a history of domestic violence. This report shows how to use case files and focus groups to locate systemic problems in the handling of these cases. It is a preliminary examination of the problematic practices in working with battered women within a child protection case.
This article explains the importance of coordingating system change activities in child welfare agencies with many collaborative activities."
November 1997. This paper is meant to serve as a working document rather than the "last word," and it will be subject to revision as child welfare and domestic violence agencies on the vanguard of creating partnerships learn more about the link between child abuse and domestic violence, and how to best protect both children and their abused mothers. While the suggested practices and policies are by no means exhaustive, it is hoped that setting them out will save agencies from having to "reinvent the wheel," and will, at the same time, motivate them to add additional "spokes."
Child Abuse and Neglect Fatalities: Statistics and Interventions (pdf)
"This 2008 brief report presents statistical information on maltreatment-related fatalities of children including who are the victims and perpetrators and how communities often respond. "
Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention : Reports from the Field and Ideas for the Future (pdf)
"This report summarizes findings from a PPN project conducted for the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation's Child Abuse Prevention Program. The project sought to assess the current state of the child abuse and neglect prevention field as well as identify potential future directions for the field in terms of emerging priorities and prevention strategies."
Child Abuse and Neglect: Compendia of Civil and Criminal State Laws
"This compendia list how each state in the U.S. defines child abuse and neglect. The compendia of civil state laws are to help legal and non-legal professionals in the analysis, formulation, and implementation of child protection and child welfare legislation. The Compendia (previously titled State Statutes Elements) contain citations and text of key civil statutes pertaining to child maltreatment, child welfare, and domestic violence. The Compendia are intended as research tools and do not substitute for the official version of any statute."
"Child and Family Service Reviews (CFSRs) evaluate public child welfare systems to determine how well they achieve safety, permanency, and well-being in difficult situations of neglect, physical and sexual abuse, and co-existing domestic violence, substance abuse, mental health issues, poverty, and community violence. This guide can help stakeholders develop effective (Program Improvement Plans) PIPs for achieving safety, permanency, and well-being in domestic violence cases, and to identify or anticipate related technical assistance needs."
A surprising number of battered women lose custody of their children to their abusive partners. This document describes some of the legal and cultural trends surrounding custody and visitation decisions and the social science evidence supporting a need to consider domestic violence in these decisions.
Describes major legal and social trends surrounding custody and visitation decisions and the social science evidence supporting the need to consider domestic violence. Recommendations for custody and visitation decisions are explored.
"Describes major legal and social trends surrounding custody and visitation decisions and the social science evidence supporting the need to consider domestic violence. Recommendations for custody and visitation decisions are explored."
Child Maltreatment 2006 Report (pdf)
"The latest Child Maltreatment annual report reports statistical data from the states on reports of maltreatment, characteristics of the children involved and their perpetrators, fatalities tied to maltreatment, and services provided to prevent maltreatment or to address the consequences of maltreatment."
Child Protection Information Sheets (pdf)
"This booklet comprises 14 information sheets which highlight how child protection is crucial to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals. Covering different forms of abuse, these sheets also outline how to build a protective environment for children and what UNICEF is doing on the ground to protect children."
Child Protective Services for Children of Battered Women: Practice and Controversy
1995. A look at the difficulties that child protection workers face when trying to make a situation safe for children who witness woman abuse.
Child Support Protocol: A Guide for Integrated Domestic Violence Courts (pdf)
A best practices guide for legal professionals who oversee integrated domestic violence court cases involving child custody issues.
Child Welfare Practices for Cases with Domestic Violence (pdf)
This is the third edition of Child Welfare Practice for Cases with Domestic Violence, developed as part of an overall effort to increase the safety of adults and children through collaboration of domestic violence services and child protective services.
Child Welfare: Health & Human Services
This website provides a number of documents and related resources, particlarly for child welfare workers. Training resources and interventions are provided as well.
"Abuse studies from the author’s laboratory, studies of children in orphanages who lacked emotional contact, and a large number of animal deprivation and enrichment studies point to the need for children and young nonhuman mammals to have both stable emotional attachments with and touch from primary adult caregivers, and spontaneous interactions with peers. If these connections are lacking, brain development both of caring behavior and cognitive capacities is damaged in a lasting fashion. The effects of the childhood environment, favorable or unfavorable, interact with all the processes of neurodevelopment."
Childhood Sex Abuse Increases Risk for Drug Dependence in Adult Women
"The article briefly discusses the data results gathered from interviews of women revealing that those who experienced any type of sexual abuse in their childhood were roughly three times more likely than unabused girls to report drug dependence as adults."
Children's Domestic Violence Assessment Tool (pdf)
"The purpose of this tool is to help assess safety, risk, strengths and needs. It may be used to assist in decision making and service planning during any stage of the CPS case (assessment through case planning and case management) in conjunction with required Structured Decision Making Tools. The tool is designed for use with the child(ren) in CPS cases involving domestic violence."
Children, Young People and Domestic Violence (pdf)
The author explores "the ways in which children and young people experience domestic violence," as well as the impact it has on child development and the response by professionals and the child protection system is also reviewed.
Chinese Lifetime Spiral of Gender Violence (pdf)
"Chinese translation of the Lifetime Spiral of Gender Violence. The spiral implicitly locates a range of abuses in the lives of girls and women, revealing patterns of victimization and perpetration. The Lifetime Spiral is designed to be used by everyone to identify histories of violence in their own lives or in the lives of family and friends."
Collaborating for Family Safety: Results From the Greenbook Multisite Evaluation
"This special issue of the Journal of Interpersonal Violence features results from a multisite developmental evaluation of best practices at the intersection of child maltreatment and adult domestic violence."
This article explains the importance of collaborative efforts to responding to families experiencing domestic violence and child maltreatment. The Greenbook Initiative provided a framework for developing a multisystem collaborative approach to working with families.
"Two studies were conducted to identify the incidence (Study 1) and characteristics (Study 2) of juvenile prostitution cases known to law enforcement agencies in the United States. Findings indicate law enforcement responses to juvenile prostitution are influential in determining whether such youth are viewed as victims of commercial sexual exploitation or as delinquents."
Crafting the Greenbook: Framers Reflect on the Vision, Process, and Lessons Learned
"As part of the evaluation of the Greenbook initiative, the evaluation team asked the national experts who helped frame the Greenbook to reflect on the processes used and the decisions that shaped the document. In addition, the experts were asked to describe their expectations for the systems and communities that implemented the recommendations, including anticipated challenges."
This publication provides information about the use of cross-system dialogue to facilitate communication among representatives working in the domestic violence, child welfare, and court system. Strategies for professionals responding to family violence and child maltreatment are also provided.
The crosssystem dialogue is an approach that promotes and helps to facilitate communication among representatives working in the domestic violence, child welfare, and court system. It provides a formal structure to address conflict in a productive manner.
This article addresses the likely and realistic outcome regarding custodial care decisions during divorce battles. It would seem apparent that the parent responsible for inflicting abuse upon their child is often the one to receive unsupervised visitation rights and often even full legal custody as well.
Danger Zone: Battered Mothers and Their Families in Supervised Visitation (pdf)
"This paper outlines research conducted at a supervised visitation center specifically for serving families where domestic violence was the primary reason for referral. The authors have classified their experiences based on these main subjects: battered women in supervised visitation, how battering continues during supervised visitation, how the rules of the supervised visitation center evolved during the first 18 months of implementation, the importance of well-trained visit monitors, and the need to include supervised visitation centers within a larger context of coordinated community responses to domestic violence."
Developmental Repair: A Training Manual (pdf)
Washburn Center for Children has recently completed a training manual on Developmental Repair – the treatment framework that has been developed and implemented in their Day Treatment Program under the clinical leadership of Anne Gearity PhD, LICSW. It is an intensive treatment model for working with young children who have experienced complex trauma and present with aggressive and disruptive symptoms.
Developmental Status and Early Intervention Service Needs of Maltreated Children (pdf)
"In this report, published by the Institute for Social and Economic Development, the authors analyze findings from the National Early Intervention Longitudinal Study and the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being. They provide information about the developmental status and early intervention service needs of children under age three who are substantiated for maltreatment. Topics include: 1) the extent to which maltreated children have developmental problems or are subject to factors associated with poor developmental outcomes; 2) the services maltreated children might be eligible for and ones they receive through the child welfare systems; 3) case characteristics, such as child welfare setting, that impact the effect of developmental services; and 4) existing barriers to services."
DID YOU KNOW YOUR RELATIONSHIP AFFECTS YOUR HEALTH? (pdf)
A tri-fold patient safety card which contains a checklist to assess safety, healthy/unhealthy relationships, and children's exposure to violence. The card also provides resources and information on how to get help.
DID YOU KNOW YOUR RELATIONSHIP AFFECTS YOUR HEALTH? (Spanish) (pdf)
A tri-fold patient safety card which contains a checklist to assess safety, healthy/unhealthy relationships, and children's exposure to violence. The card also provides resources and information on how to get help.
Domestic Violence Against Women and Girls (pdf)
"UNICEF's report discusses the scope and magnitude of the problem, causes and consequences of domestic violence, the socio-economic costs of violence, strategies and interventions, and state obligations with regard to domestic violence."
Domestic Violence Against Women and Girls
"Highlights issues of abuse; femicide; forced prostitution; sexual abuse of children; sex-selective abortion, female infanticide and differential access to food and medical care; and, traditional and cultural practices that affect women's health and lives."
Domestic Violence and Child Welfare Services
Statistics and links to helpful resources and information related to child welfare and domestic violence are provided in this document.
Domestic Violence and Children: Creating a Public Response (pdf)
The authors of this paper address children's exposure to domestic violence as a factor in healthy development. Research findings suggest that children who witness domestic violence are often unnoticed and underserved by other agencies in the community. Principles serving as a guiding framework for policy and service are outlined, as well as recommendations for communities and governmental bodies to help children experiencing domestic violence.
Domestic Violence and Dependency Courts: The Greenbook Demonstration Experience
"This article focuses on the dependency court, where child maltreatment cases are heard, specifically court participation in collaborative activities and court practice improvements."
Domestic Violence as a Form of Child Abuse: Identification and Prevention
By looking at the ways child exposure to domestic violence manifests itself during the various stages of a child's life, the author documents ways to identify problems in exposed children and discusses specific intervention strategies.
Domestic violence laws in Australia
The report analyzes domestic violence legislation in all Australian States and Territories and in New Zealand in order to assist the Australian Government’s National Plan to Reduce Violence Against Women and their Children. The report notes gaps and overlaps between State and Territory domestic violence protection orders and the Family Law Act 1975.
Domestic Violence Programs and Children's Records: Issues of Confidentiality and Release (pdf)
Preserving confidentiality for battered women and their children is central to ensuring their safety and allowing them to regain and retain control over their lives. The vital services of a shelter or domestic violence program mean nothing if anyone can access their records, putting battered women and their children in danger of being located. This paper endeavors to provide guidance to domestic violence programs regarding children's records and to serve as a starting place for internal policy development on this issue.
Domestic Violence, Visitations and Custody Decisions in New York Family Courts (pdf)
The study reported here was designed to examine the extent to which visitation or custody was sought and granted in cases involving domestic violence, through a review of Family Court records in New York City.
This is part of a series that was created through a collaboration of the Vermont Network Against Domestic and Sexual Violence, the Vermont Department for Children and Families and the Vermont Center for Crime Victim Services. Part VI discusses actual and perceived conflicts of interest when service providers act in more than one role or relationship, providing recommendations on how to address these dilemmas/questions.
Eliminating Violence against Children (pdf)
"Jointly produced by UNICEF and the Inter-Parliamentary Union, this handbook describes measures parliamentarians can take to end violence against children: they can legislate, oversee government activities, allocate financial resources and, as leaders in their nations and communities, raise awareness of issues."
Emerging issues in domestic/family violence research
"This paper presents an overview of the key emerging issues in Australian domestic and family violence research in the context of gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and intersex communities; the elderly; those with disabilities; people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds; Indigenous communities; homelessness; the impact on children; and issues around perpetrator programs."
Fact Sheet: The Effects of Domestic Violence on Children (pdf)
"Addresses the impact of domestic violence on children and the likelihood that men who abuse their partners will also abuse their children. Lists statistics that reflect the most recent research concerning the effects of domestic violence on children."
Family Court Statistics: an overview of Family Court Statistics in New Zealand 2004 to 2008
This bulletin analyzes, between 2004 and 2008, the four main areas that come under the jurisdiction of the Family Court in New Zealand, including family violence and child protection.
Family Team Conferences in Domestic Violence Cases: Guidelines for Practice (2nd Edition) (pdf)
These guidelines lay out steps to decide whether a family with a history of domestic violence is a good candidate for a Family Team Conference, and to prepare and conduct a conference that results in the best possible child welfare decision and safety for all. Case scenarios offer examples of different circumstances involving domestic violence and describe how an FTC, if planned and structured properly, can safely address case goals.
Fathering After Violence: Working with Abusive Fathers in Supervised Visitation (pdf)
This guide is intended to assist the grantees of the Safe Havens: Supervised Visitation and Safe Exchange Grant Program that want to enhance the safety and well-being of women and children by working more deliberately with abusive fathers who use the centers to visit their children.
This report summarizes the dialogues from the Women of Color Network (WOCN) focus groups on domestic violence and child welfare. Over one hundred (100) domestic violence and sexual assault activists of color participated in these focus groups. The report includes a set of recommendations and highlights from their conversations regarding issues and barriers for battered women with children from communities of color.
Fourth National Incidence Study of Child Abuse and Neglect (NIS-4)
"The NIS is a congressionally mandated, periodic research effort to assess the incidence of child abuse and neglect in the United States. The NIS gathers information from multiple sources to estimate the number of children who are abused or neglected, providing information about the nature and severity of the maltreatment, the characteristics of the children, perpetrators, and families, and the extent of changes in the incidence or distribution of child maltreatment since the time of the last national incidence study."
The guidelines describe model policies, practices, programs, and protocols that address the multiple needs of families and children affected by domestic violence and child maltreatment. They are based on recommendations contained in the Greenbook and on the thoughtful recommendations provided by public child welfare agency directors, domestic violence advocates, child advocates, and legal representatives.
Guidelines for Responding to the Co-occurrence of Child Maltreatment and Domestic Violence (pdf)
The purpose of these Guidelines is to provide direction to child protection staff when responding to situations in which child maltreatment and domestic violence are both occurring.
Guiding Principles for Safe Havens: Supervised Visitation and Safe Exchange Grant Program (pdf)
"This document was designed to guide the development and administration of Supervised Visitation Program centers with an eye toward addressing the needs of child(ren) and adult victims of domestic violence in visitation and exchange settings. The Guiding Principles look beyond the visitation setting to address how communities funded under the Supervised Visitation Program should address domestic violence in the larger community."
Healing the Invisible Wounds: Children's Exposure to Violence A Guide for Families (pdf)
"This booklet helps parents and other caregivers understand the potential impact of exposure to violence on the development of their children, and provides practical suggestions for supporting the healing process."
Health Care Costs Associated with Violence in Pennsylvania (pdf)
"Reports the impact of violence in Pennsylvania including interpersonal violence (homicide, aggravated assault, rape) domestic violence (partner, child and elder abuse) and self-directed violence (suicide and attempted suicide)."
Healthy Development: A Summit on Children’s Mental Health (pdf)
"This report was compiled from a 2009 Summit that brought together a comprehensive group of stakeholders in child and family mental health with the goal of promoting children’s mental health. The report addresses issues such as the prevalence of children’s mental health, gaps in service, current research and public perceptions of mental health, and provides recommendations."
Healthy Marriage and the Legacy of Child Maltreatment: A Child Welfare Perspective (pdf)
"This brief explores how childhood experiences, specifically child maltreatment and involvement with the child welfare system, impact the potential for a healthy, lasting marriage. The author also offers recommendations for addressing the unique needs of couples in which one or both partners have experienced childhood maltreatment."
Helping Traumatized Children at School
A paper that discusses school interventions for traumatized children. It provides some of the guidelines and resources for use when youth's traumas affect their ability to function at school.
Helping Traumatized Children: Tips for Judges (pdf)
"This fact sheet for judges and other court personnel outlines the impact of trauma on children's development, beliefs, and behaviors. It is designed to help professionals in the juvenile justice and family court system become more effective in addressing the unique needs and challenges of the traumatized children and adolescents they work with."
"The authors review the literature on resilience following childhood maltreatment and describe how variation in the measurement of outcomes at various developmental stages affects research findings, practice implications, and policy recommendations."
This is a briefing paper prepared for a Wingspread Conference of a similar title. It discusses family violence, specifically against women and children, barriers to helping the victims, and the importance of collaboration to effect change.
Information Sharing in Collaborative Relationship: Domestic Violence and Child Protection (pdf)
This series was created through a collaboration of the Vermont Network Against Domestic and Sexual Violence, the Vermont Department for Children and Families and the Vermont Center for Crime Victim Services. Part III provides general guidance and possibilities for policy development regarding information sharing between systems and presents avenues for effective inquiry where these issues intersect.
Interpersonal violence and alcohol (pdf)
This report by the World Health Organization presents research on the relation between alcohol and violence. It suggests that alcohol is a situational determinant which increases the risk of most types of violence. Hazardous and harmful use of alcohol has also been shown to be an important consequence of experiencing or witnessing most forms of violence, but especially child maltreatment and intimate partner violence.
Intersection of Child Abuse and Children's Exposure to Domestic Violence
"This review addresses research on the overlap in physical child abuse and domestic violence, the prediction of child outcomes, and resilience in children exposed to family violence."
Keeping Children Safe When Parents Are Arrested: Local Approaches That Work
This report presents protocols developed by four California communities that coordinated responses between child welfare services and law enforcement when parents are arrested. The report found that there were decreased trauma rates in the communities, fewer children taken into custody by child protective services, and increased positive interaction between parents, communities, and law enforcement.
Korean Lifetime Spiral of Gender Violence (pdf)
"Korean translation of the Lifetime Spiral of Gender Violence. The spiral implicitly locates a range of abuses in the lives of girls and women, revealing patterns of victimization and perpetration. The Lifetime Spiral is designed to be used by everyone to identify histories of violence in their own lives or in the lives of family and friends."
This document introduces voices of battered immigrant, refugee and indegenious women who were also involved in Child Protection Services. The document explores how community approach can enhance the physical, spiritual and mental health of individuals, families and communities and how this concept can be well utilized for policy and practice for social services.
"This report from the FRIENDS National Resource Center for Community-Based Child Abuse Prevention provides and overview of a range of prevention strategies that have been found to have some evidence of being able to preventing child abuse and neglect. "
Mandatory Reporting of Child Abuse and Neglect: State Statutes and Professional Ethics (pdf)
A comprehensive listing of state statutes on mandatory reporting of child abuse and neglect. Also included is a listing of reporting requirements and code of ethics for professionals in various fields.
Model Protocol for Advocates Working with Battered Women Involved in the Child Protection System
This protocol includes policy and practice recommendations for advocates who work with battered women involved in the child protection system.
Mothers and Children: Understanding the Links Between Woman Battering and Child Abuse
This is a briefing paper for a strategic planning meeting on the Violence Against Women Act. "This paper focuses on an important gap in our current understandings of family violence: the link between woman battering and child abuse. It is surprising that after so many years of public attention it is only in recent years that a discussion of this link has begun to appear in the literature. At present, there is much more we need to know about the overlap between woman and child abuse."
Multi-Agency Practice Guidelines: Handling Cases of Forced Marriage (pdf)
"This report lists warning signs and appropriate actions for teachers and other school employees to take when they suspect a forced marriage of a child is imminent. The report also contains guidelines for police officers, health care professionals, and social workers, and provides general information on good practices when caring for victims of forced marriage."
This series was created through a collaboration of the Vermont Network Against Domestic and Sexual Violence, the Vermont Department for Children and Families and the Vermont Center for Crime Victim Services. Part V describes the structure and purpose of child protection teams, provides guiding questions for domestic violence advocate members of such teams and highlights recommendations.
Not Enough: What TANF Offers Family Violence Victims (pdf)
Based on a national survey of service providers, this report is a comprehensive effort to understand when TANF successfully assists victims of family violence, and when the program falls short.
Parental Alienation Syndrome and Parental Alienation: Research Reviews (pdf)
This VAWnet document provides a historical and research overview of Parental Alienation Syndrome and Parental Alienation, identifies strategic issues for advocates working with victims, and offers guidelines to improve courts’ treatment of these issues.
A resource on the impacts of spanking on children's growth and development.
"This special collection includes a categorized and selected listing of articles, fact sheets, papers, reports and surveys. It is offered as an additional tool to assist advocates working on and interested in poverty and how it relates to ending violence against women."
Prevalence and Effects of Child Exposure to Domestic Violence (pdf)
A review of the problems associated with making valid and reliable estimates concerning the prevalence of child exposure to domestic violence in included in this document. Additionally, the impact of such exposure is discussed and the document ends with a discussion surrounding the need for more empirical research in order to effectively intervene with exposed children.
Preventing violence and reducing its impact: How development agencies can help (pdf)
This document makes the case for increased attention on the impact of violence on development by international development agencies. A key aim is to stimulate dialogue on the role of international development agencies in the prevention of violence globally, and ultimately to increase investment in a commonly agreed set of applied violence prevention strategies. The primary audience for this document is policy-makers, high-level planners, and others in the international development field.
Promising Approaches: Working with Families, Child Welfare and Domestic Violence (pdf)
The purpose of this brochure is to provide a framework for mandated reporters to create family centered approaches when domestic violence is identified and to offer guidelines to assist mandated reporters to assess accurately and sympathetically, the impact of domestic violence on children and their families.
Promoting Court Capacity to Improve Outcomes for Abused and Neglected Children (pdf)
"Written for the National Conference of State Legislators, this report outlines strategies for elected officials to raise public awareness of the court’s role in the lives of vulnerable children and families, and strengthen the collaboration between courts and the child welfare system."
This 145 page article is a comprehensive review and critical discussion about the laws and child protection responses that have shown to be effective.
Punjabi Lifetime Spiral of Gender Violence (pdf)
"Punjabi translation of the Lifetime Spiral of Gender Violence. The spiral implicitly locates a range of abuses in the lives of girls and women, revealing patterns of victimization and perpetration. The Lifetime Spiral is designed to be used by everyone to identify histories of violence in their own lives or in the lives of family and friends."
Realizing the Promise of Home Visitation: Addressing Domestic Violence and Child Maltreatment (pdf)
"This guide is intended to help policy makers and advocates build a strong national policy framework to maximize the effectiveness and reach of early childhood home visiting programs. It is intended to ensure that federal home visiting policies directly address: the needs of mothers and children who are experiencing or at risk of experiencing domestic violence, the link between domestic violence and child abuse and neglect, and the impact of domestic violence on the health and well-being of children and families."
Reasonable Efforts Checklist for Dependency Cases Involving Domestic Violence (pdf)
"This checklist includes easy reference bench cards for judges to consult during removal, adjudication, disposition, review, permanency, and termination hearings involving domestic violence. It is designed to aid judges in making reasonable efforts findings that are required by federal law in dependency cases involving domestic violence."
Reasonable Efforts or Unrealistic Expectations: A Look at Hennepin County Child Protection Cases (pdf)
"The purpose of this report is to identify ways in which Hennepin County could provide greater support for families throughout the Children in Need of Protection or Services (CHIPS) process and improve the systems in which judges, social workers, and guardians ad litem (GAL) are operating."
Reflections from the Field: Considerations for Domestic Violence Specialists (pdf)
"Domestic violence and child protection professionals from multiple states came together to discuss the complexity of systems-change work and the continued need for a social justice framework to guide these efforts. This document is a compilation of their stories and insights as people who have worked as or supported domestic violence specialists dedicated to helping families experiencing the co-occurrence of domestic violence and child maltreatment."
This document, comprised of research from many leading experts in the field of domestic violence, lays out the case that the majority of high conflict child custody disputes have a history of domestic violence.
Responding to the Co-occurrence of Child Maltreatment and Adult Domestic Violence in Hennepin County
In this report, Drs. Edleson and Beeman and their research assistants detail information collected from a variety of sources during the first half of 1999. Information collection included detailed reporting by child protection screeners and investigators in the Hennepin County Department of Children and Family Services (HCDCFS), consulting with national experts in this area, reviewing published materials on prominent demonstration projects from around the United States and Canada, and holding a series of stakeholder meetings throughout Hennepin County.
A blog developed by David Mandel & Associates, LLC in which they will be exploring the ideas underpinning the Safe and Together model. The model provides a practical and concrete approach to improving the response of child welfare to the risk and safety concerns presented by batterers. They will be providing practical tips and ideas for policy and practice. All are welcome to participate in the discussion.
Safe Start Promising Approaches Communities: Working Together to Help Children Exposed to Violence (pdf)
Launched by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention(OJJDP) and its Federal partners in the Department of Justice and the Department of Health and Human Services, the initiative is designed as a national framework which seeks to address the needs of children exposed to violence. This booklet describes each of the 15 Safe Start Promising Approaches communities and outlines how these programs are integrating evidence-based or promising practices as well as other complementary interventions within their geographical, agency, and community contexts.
Screening and Assessment Tools for Child Welfare
Offers an alphabetical listing of screening and assessment tools for child welfare. These tools can be used by workers directly with families, building a common understanding regarding the family's needs, strengths, and resources, and that can be used to measure progress on goals over time.
Sharwline Nicholson v. Nicholas Scoppetta - Appeals Decision
This document outlines the Appeals decision regarding the case of Nicholson (filed as a class action in federal court in 2001). This history of this decision is based on the class action lawsuit in which battered mothers and their children in New York City successfully challenged the City child welfare agency's practice and policy of removing children from battered mothers and charging the mothers with child neglect due to domestic violence. The federal court ruled that the practice is unconstitutional under federal law. The case went up on appeal.
Shattered Hearts: The Commercial Sexual Exploitation of American Indian Women and Girls in Minnesota (pdf)
A groundbreaking report released by the Minnesota Indian Women’s Resource Center (MIWRC) highlights the alarming and pervasive sex trafficking of American Indian women and girls in Minnesota. The first comprehensive report of its kind, it highlights risk factors for victims that include poverty, a disproportionate number of American Indian homeless, high incidences of overall sexual assault, Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) and pervasive multi-generational trauma.
Should Childhood Exposure to Adult Domestic Violence Be Defined as Child Maltreatment Under the Law?
Published as a chapter in Protecting Children From Domestic Violence: Strategies for Community Intervention (2004), this article reviews the research on childhood exposure to domestic violence and emerging laws aimed at protecting these children. The author concludes with an argument against assuming that childhood exposure to violence is automatically a form of child maltreatment and suggests the need to modify child protection services and the expansion of primarily voluntary community-based responses to these children and their families.
Social Worker's Practice Guide to Domestic Violence (pdf)
A guide created by the Department of Social and Health Services, for social workers working with domestic violence issues in the state of Washington. Includes information on how social workers should work with victims and perpetrators, child assessment of exposure to violence, as well as legal and policy issues in the state.
Starting Smart: How Early Experiences Affect Brain Development
"This report provides a straightforward summary of the interactions between early brain development, childhood emotional experiences and trauma. Drawing from this research, it concludes by making a case for increased services to counter the disadvantages faced by children who experience trauma or neglect."
Strategies to Improve Supervised Visitation Services in Domestic Violence Cases
This Violence Against Women Online Resources commissioned document describes the evolution of supervised visitation services for domestic violence cases, notes legal trends in these cases, describes practice concerns, and presents strategies to improve the safety of participants when supervised visitation, due to domestic violence, is court-ordered.
Supervised Visitation Programs: Information for Mothers Who Have Experienced Abuse (pdf)
"This guide was created for mothers who have experienced abuse and whose children are involved in supervised visitation programs. The guide provides information about how the programs work and how mothers can prepare themselves and their children for the experience."
Supervised Visitation: Information for Mothers Who Have Been Abused (pdf)
"This Guide should be given directly to mothers who have experienced abuse and whose children are in supervised visitation programs. It will tell mothers basic information about how supervised visitation programs work and how she can prepare herself and her children for the experience. If she is afraid of her children’s father or was abused by him, then the information in this Guide will be particularly helpful to her."
Tagalog Lifetime Spiral of Gender Violence (pdf)
"Tagalog translation of the Lifetime Spiral of Gender Violence. The spiral implicitly locates a range of abuses in the lives of girls and women, revealing patterns of victimization and perpetration. The Lifetime Spiral is designed to be used by everyone to identify histories of violence in their own lives or in the lives of family and friends."
"This free advanced domestic violence curriculum outlines safely preparing for and managing effective meetings, engaging parents around domestic violence issues, assessing the impact of children’s exposure to domestic violence, and making decisions and plans to increase safety for children and battered mothers."
Technology Safety & Advocacy Special Collection
This special collection includes a categorized and annotated listing of selected articles, fact sheets, papers, reports and other materials regarding the use of technology as it impacts and intersects with violence against women and children. It is offered as an additional tool to assist advocates working on and interested in the safe use of technology.
This is a Canadian study, the objective of which was to examine the child welfare system’s response to child maltreatment investigations substantiated for exposure to domestic violence (EDV). The study is based on a secondary analysis of data collected in the 2003 Canadian Incidence Study of Reported Child Abuse and Neglect.
This document displays the results of a comparative overview of the child welfare response within Canadian boundaries to child exposure to domestic violence. Implications for policy are discussed.
The Epidemiology of Trauma and Trauma-Related Disorders in Children and Youth (pdf)
"This publication reviews general population studies, disaster research, child maltreatment studies, and special population studies that report the prevalence of PTSD in children, adolescents, and young adults. It includes a brief discussion of the cumulative adverse effects of traumatic stress experienced from infancy through adolescence."
The Facts on Health Care & Domestic Violence (pdf)
"Statistics on domestic violence incidents highlighting health consequences to the victim, children's health issues, hospital and other health service costs, identification and screening practices in health care settings, and domestic violence during and after pregnancy."
The Future of the Grave Risk Of Harm Defense in Hague Cases
This article discusses the future of the grave risk of harm defense in Hague Convention international child abduction cases. It provides an interpretation of the Hague Convention in the traditional view as well as in the context of domestic violence. Examples of court rulings are provided which evaluated the nature of abuse and the likelihood of legal protection in the country to which the children are being returned.
The Greenbook Initiative Final Evaluation Report (pdf)
"The Greenbook national evaluation results are presented in three reports. The Greenbook Demonstration Initiative: Process Evaluation Report: Phase 1 focused on the planning and goal setting phase of the Greenbook initiative in the sites. This final evaluation report assesses the extent to which the Greenbook implementation activities facilitated cross-system and within system change and practice in the child welfare agencies, dependency courts, and domestic violence service providers."
A team of Minnesota judges, attorneys, advocates and social scientists created this Bench Guide for judges who are hearing Hague Convention cases involving allegations of domestic violence. The case law in the guide is focused on the District of Minnesota, but help is available for other areas of the country who would like to adapt it.
The project seeks to increase the identification of violence against women in international parental child abduction cases processed in U.S. Courts. That identification will allow the American legal community to help protect battered mothers and their children as they cross international borders to safety in the United States. Specifically, this Web site provides information and resources for individuals, attorneys and non-lawyers who litigate or participate in cases involving the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction where domestic violence is an issue.
The Impact of Conflict on Women and Girls in West and Central Africa and the UNICEF response (pdf)
"This first-of-its-kind study by UNICEF on the situation of war-affected girls and women in the region highlights innovative programmes being implemented with partners to address the impact of conflict, and recommends how UNICEF can more proactively champion the rights of girls - particularly adolescent girls."
The Origin and True Purpose of the Paddle (pdf)
In this article, the authors explain the origins of paddling in a historical context of slavery, as well as the psychological effects of using corporal punishment on children.
The Overlap Between Child Maltreatment and Woman Abuse
Reviews over 35 studies on the overlap between child maltreatment and woman battering in the same families. This paper has now been published in Violence Against Women, 1999, 5(2), pp. 134-154 and is no longer available on this site. This link, however, goes to a brief VAWnet paper on the topic.
The prevalence of child abuse and neglect
"A resource sheet that summarizes the current knowledge about the prevalence of child abuse and neglect in Australia. It provides an overview of Australian studies that have estimated the prevalence of the different forms of child maltreatment."
The Psychological Maltreatment of Children -Technical Report (2002)
"Psychological maltreatment is a common consequence of physical and sexual abuse but also may occur as a distinct entity. Until recently, there has been controversy regarding the definition and consequences of psychological maltreatment. Sufficient research and consensus now exist about the incidence, definition, risk factors, and consequences of psychological maltreatment."
The Relationship Between Domestic Violence and Child Abuse (pdf)
"Cites surveys and reports published between 1987 and 1996, briefly describing: what is domestic violence; what is child abuse; how does domestic violence affect children; and similarities/correlations between domestic violence and/or child abuse."
The framework of the Safe and Together model provides a methodology for improving child welfare competencies and cross system collaboration between child welfare and its community partners.
The Safe Start Center Series on Children Exposed to Violence: Pediatric Care Settings (pdf)
This issue brief translates emerging research and program practice into action steps for practitioners in pediatric care settings to design and implement programs that meet the needs of children who are exposed to violence.
The State of the World's Children 2009 Report
"The State of the World's Children 2009 examines critical issues in maternal and newborn health, underscoring the need to establish a comprehensive continuum of care for mothers, newborns and children. The report outlines the latest paradigms in health programming and policies for mothers and newborns, and explores policies, programmes and partnerships aimed at improving maternal and neonatal health. Africa and Asia are a key focus for this report, which complements the previous year's issue on child survival."
The Unclaimed Children Revisited, California Case Study (pdf)
"The purpose of the California Case Study is to identify, document, and analyze effective fiscal, infrastructural, and related policies that support research-informed practices for mental health services to children and adolescents in California."
The Use of Expert Testimony on Intimate Partner Violence (pdf)
"This Applied Research paper presents an overview of the uses of expert testimony, the qualifications and roles of experts, the literature on the use of testimony on the effects of battering, and considerations for future research."
Training Child Welfare Workers on Domestic Violence
Final Report, June 1998. In October of 1995, the Columbia University School of Social Work (CUSSW) was awarded funds to train public child welfare workers to understand and intervene appropriately with families where there was concurrent child abuse or neglect and woman abuse. This objective was accomplished by designing, implementing, and evaluating a competency-based training curriculum on domestic violence for direct service workers in the New York City Administrationm for Children's Services (ACS). The training curriculum was designed to impact worker's attitudes toward domestic violence, provide them with knowledge and skills for assessing domestic violence, and enhance their practice with families in which there is woman abuse. This paper is the final report CUSSW's project.
Trauma Informed Care Resources for Children Exposed to Violence
Exposure to violence at home, in the form of child abuse and neglect, or in the community, whether at school or in the neighborhood, can affect young people in profound ways. This resource provides information on children's exposure to violence for parents and other caregivers, as well as for teachers and other agencies and staff who may work with these youth. Information includes warning signs of exposure to violence and what you can do to intervene.
U.N. Report of the independent expert for the United Nations study on violence against children (pdf)
"This report provides a global picture of violence against children and proposes recommendations to prevent and respond to this issue. It provides information on the incidence of various types of violence against children within the family, schools, alternative care institutions and detention facilities, places where children work and communities. "
UN study on Violence Against Children
"A press release on a new effort to provide a detailed global picture of the nature, extent and causes of violence against children, and propose clear recommendations for action to prevent and reduce such violence. The study focuses on violence against children in five settings: the home and family, schools and educational settings, other institutional settings (orphanages, children in conflict with the law), the community and on the streets, and work situations. "
Understanding and Protecting Your Children from Child Molesters and Predators
"This packet provides information about child molesters and some of the things you, your family and community can do to help keep children safe."
Understanding Children’s Exposure to Violence (pdf)
The Safe Start Center has developed a series of briefs on Children Exposed to Violence. The briefs are developed to respond to an urgent need to translate research-based information and disseminate it to practitioners who can use it in their work with children and families in different settings. This particular brief describes core concepts—gleaned from research and program practice—used in designing and implementing programs that address children’s exposure to violence.
United Nations Report on Violence Against Children
The report describes the scope and nature of violence against children and its impact, approaching its subject from the perspectives of human rights, child protection, and public health. The report is available in 8 languages.
"The intent of this protocol is to assist law enforcement officers in their response to children at the scene of domestic violence incidents. In addition, the protocol outlines an effective response which includes: assessing whether children have been physically harmed, minimizing the impact and repercussions to children who are present, empowering children as much as possible in the process, maintaining victim safety, and maintaining batterer accountability."
Violence Against Women Document Library
A huge variety of information and resources are categorized by topics relating to children and domestic violence, including information about advocacy, child custody and protection, and criminal justice responses.
Violence in Families: Assessing Prevention and Treatment Programs
This is a full-text online book made available courtesy of The National Academies Press. This important book, published in 1998, details out chapter by chapter the different types of interventions to be utilized by different types of professionals, as well as makes recommendations.
Violence in the Lives of Children (pdf)
"This data brief from Child Trends reviews data on the types of violence experienced by U.S. children, including exposure to violence through media to abuse by parents and peers. Differences by age, gender, and race/ethnicity are discussed along with priorities for filling gaps in the data that is available on this topic."
What Is Trauma and Why Is It Important?
This is the first issue in a series focusing on trauma and child welfare systems. This issue defines trauma and describes its significance. Successive issues will highlight childhood trauma in the context of culture and identify ways in which child welfare systems can best respond to children.
When Battered Women Stay... Advocacy Beyond Leaving
"This paper raises the key issues, questions, and dilemmas regarding advocacy with battered women who stay in their relationships. It discusses the limitations of safety strategies for leaving, and frames the issues central to the expansion of advocacy beyond leaving, including: 1) safety planning and advocacy with victims who stay; 2) ending violent and controlling behavior; and 3) knowing what children need to be OK."
When Children Experience Domestic Violence: Expert Opinion
This document includes a summary of a ruling made by a New York Judge to stop removing children from battered women because children of such women are exposed to domestic violence.
Working with Children Towards a Healthy & Non-Violent Future
"This Special Collection provides a unique perspective on working with children (younger than 13 years of age), focusing on theories and strategies for raising respectful, non-violent people. Resources included here discuss child development and how to utilize this knowledge when implementing primary prevention strategies that foster healthy attitudes and behaviors"
World Report on Violence against Children
"This book addresses all violence against children within the family, schools, alternative care institutions and detention facilities, places where children work and communities. It lists the relevant international and national legal instruments and standards. It also describes the nature and impact of all forms of violence, indicating possible risk and causal factors. Finally, and most important, based on existing evidence and concrete examples, it provides detailed recommendation on measures to be taken to enhance the protection of children from violence."
Class/Race/Ethnicity
"This report provides an analysis of patterns of human rights abuses against women who are exposed to the risk of or are already living with HIV in rural contexts of widespread poverty and unemployment."
(Un)heard Voices: Domestic Violence in the Asian American Community (pdf)
This publication is based on the results of a focus group with Asian immigrant women and Asian American women from different backgrounds. Various questions and issues are addressed such as identifying victims and perpetrators, prevalence of domestic violence in Asian communities, barriers confronting Asian women and more. The report also gives recommendations to service providers and a national list of organizations committed to serving battered Asian women.
2008 Status of Egyptian Women Report (pdf)
"The Egyptian Center for Women's Rights recently released its 2008 report on the status of Egyptian women. The report evaluated the current situation for women in Egypt, identifying the particular areas where action is most urgently needed in order to advance women's rights within the country."
A Comparison of Domestic Violence Advocacy Models (pdf)
This document contains a chart comparing domestic violence advocacy models and serves as a reference for effective advocacy for Latinas.
OCDV and the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene developed a training and reference guide for healthcare providers as part of a campaign to reduce cultural, linguistic and systemic barriers preventing domestic violence victims, particularly immigrant women and women of color, from reporting abuse to their healthcare providers.
This report offers an analysis and recommendations to address the impact of domestic violence and child welfare systems in communities of color. Six culture-specific organizations were partnered with to create a multi-dimensional analysis for this report. The Dialogues section offers analysis and describes some of the common findings and issues, while the Recommendations section addresses these issues. Thus, critiques and system changes go hand in hand, and are offered in the spirit of constructive engagement and strengthening communities
Adaptation Guidelines for Serving Latino Children and Families Affected by Trauma (pdf)
"This document was created by experts in the fields of child trauma research, clinical practice, policy and cultural diversity to serve as a resource for anyone who works with Latino families who have experienced traumatic events. There are 12 priority areas covered ranging from micro issues (assessment and provision of therapy) to macro issues (organizational competence and policy). Each one includes an overview of the priority area, recommendations for improving practice based on that priority area, and additional resources for further information. Portions of these guidelines are geared for advocates and therapists, while other priority areas are designed for program administrators and policy makers."
Additional Scripts for Clinic Assessment (pdf)
This document is created for healthcare professionals and provides a series of scripted questions and responses when working with victims of violence. The information is intended to help communicate all the information needed to give to a patient as well as responding to immediate safety issues and making referrals.
An Islamic Perspective on Violence Against Women
This is a statement describing how those who perpetrate violence against women are not following the true tenants of the Quran.
Baseline Survey on Sexual and Gender Based Violence in Rwanda (pdf)
"This study was conducted to shed light on the magnitude of sexual and gender-based violence in Rwanda, and to determine and analyze the perceptions that communities have about the nature, causes and consequences of incidents of violence. This study also explores the subsequent actions that survivors have taken, and evaluates the role of various stakeholders in preventing and fighting sexual and gender-based violence."
Battered Immigrant Mexican Women’s Perspectives Regarding Abuse and Help-Seeking (pdf)
"A qualitative, pilot study employing in-depth ethno-graphic interviews was conducted to examine perceptions and attitudes towards abuse and the help-seeking behaviors of a sample of ten battered immigrant Mexican women. Findings indicated that participants’ attitudes about seeking help were influenced more by cultural factors (e.g., gender-role expectations, famialism) than by psycho-social stressors (e.g., immigrant status, financial dependency). Suggestions for further research and intervention with this population and a model of internal and external determinants of help-seeking behavior are presented."
"The purpose of this study was to learn how CPS can be more responsive to families experiencing domestic violence and child abuse and neglect; learn how domestic violence advocates can be more effective in helping clients to respond to allegations of or actual child abuse and neglect and CPS interventions; explore how community can be more responsive to partner abuse and child abuse and neglect and provide support to families involved with CPS; and experiment with a research design that accomplishes the first step of participatory research and at the same time empowers advocates and survivors."
Batterer Intervention Program Enrollment and Completion Among Immigrant Men in Massachusetts (pdf)
"This study describes immigrant clients enrolled in Massachusetts batterer intervention (BI) programs from 2002 to 2004. The study seeks to describe the immigrant men enrolled in Massachusetts BI programs, investigate whether immigrants were more or less likely to complete BI programs than were nonimmigrants, and investigate whether immigrants in non-English, culturally specific groups were more or less likely to complete BI programs than were immigrants in mainstream groups."
Body Evidence: Intimate Violence against South Asian Women in America
"In Body Evidence, more than twenty scholars and public health professionals uncover the unique challenges faced by victims of violence in intimate spaces . . . within families, communities and trusted relationships in South Asian American communities. Topics include cultural obsession with women's chastity and virginity; the continued silence surrounding intimate violence among women who identify themselves as lesbian, bisexual, or transgender; the consequences of refusing marriage proposals or failing to meet dowry demands; and, ultimately, the ways in which the United States courts often confuse and exacerbate the plights of these women."
Breaking the Links Between Poverty and Violence against Women: A Resource Guide (pdf)
"This resource guide explores the ways in which poverty and violence are linked. It acknowledges the efforts of women’s groups, community organizations and service agencies that support low-income women to take control of and deal with the poverty and violence in their lives. Another area of focus is to inspire community-based groups to take action on poverty and violence issues by providing practical examples of what others are doing."
Breaking the Silence: A Training Manual for Activists, Advocates, and Latina Organizers (pdf)
"A guide for domestic violence service providers, activists, counselors and others focused on advancing the rights of battered immigrant women. Based on the FVPF's successful pilot project, the manual provides essential details on how to start organizing and maintaining a group of activists and counselors. This guide is also available in Spanish."
Breaking the Silence: A Training Manual for Activists, Advocates, and Latina Organizers (Spanish) (pdf)
"The first ever guide for domestic violence service providers, activists, counselors and others focused on advancing the rights of battered immigrant women. Based on the FVPF's successful pilot project, the manual provides essential details on how to start organizing and maintaining a group of activists and counselors. This guide is also available in English."
Broadening Our Understanding of Violence Against Women Among Racial, Ethnic, and Cultural Minorities
This article documents the main discussions that evolved from a workshop. The document explores what is known and unknown about the dynamics of violence experienced by women from diverse communities and how criminal justice and social science providers can better respond to it. The workshop was held in October 2001 and attended by approximately 30 practitioners and researchers, including representatives from the Departments of Justice and Health and Human Services.
Building Domestic Violence Health Care Responses in Indian Country: A Promising Practices Report (pdf)
A 2008 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report on health and violence found that 39 percent of Native women reported that they were victims of intimate partner violence some time in their lives. To address this problem, the Family Violence Prevention Fund (FVPF) worked with more than 100 Indian, Tribal and Urban health care facilities as well as domestic violence (DV) advocacy programs across the United States to improve the health system response to domestic violence. This report explains how the work they accomplished can be replicated.
Building Domestic Violence Health Care Responses: A Promising Practices Report (pdf)
"A new report that documents dramatic improvements in the health system’s response to domestic violence at Indian, Tribal and Urban health care facilities across the United States. It offers a series of recommendations to continue the progress and ensure that many more American Indian/Alaska Native domestic violence victims get the help that they need when they seek medical care at clinics and hospitals."
California Batterer Intervention Systems Study
This study on batterer intervention programs in the state of California encompasses 5 counties, 53 batterer intervention programs that provide client data, and over 1,000 men enrolled in those programs. The study found that the individual characteristics of the offenders, and not the program they were enrolled in nor the features of the specific court they were sentenced in, were the strongest predictors of outcomes.
Casa de Esperanza: Mobilizing Latinas and Latino Communities to End Domestic Violence
This issue of the BCS newsletter features the strengths-based, community engagement approach of Casa de Esperanza, of St. Paul, MN. The main article describes their work of mobilizing Latinas and Latino communities to end domestic violence. Lessons learned are highlighted.
Chinese Lifetime Spiral of Gender Violence (pdf)
"Chinese translation of the Lifetime Spiral of Gender Violence. The spiral implicitly locates a range of abuses in the lives of girls and women, revealing patterns of victimization and perpetration. The Lifetime Spiral is designed to be used by everyone to identify histories of violence in their own lives or in the lives of family and friends."
Colonization and Violence against Women (pdf)
This article was created from the Proceedings from the National Summit on Domestic Violence in Asian and Pacific Islander Communities, which was held in June 2002. The article highlights various myths around the Asian and Pacific Islander cultures and colonization's role, as it relates to violence against women.
Commodifying Honor in Female Sexuality: Honor Killings in Palestine
Discusses honor killings and the history of this practice in Palestine.
Community Corrections Response To Domestic Violence: Guidelines For Practice (pdf)
"This document provides a series of guidelines for community corrections professionals that support a proactive community supervision approach for domestic violence cases. It pulls together in one place for community corrections professionals and allied justice system and community-based services the conceptual information and practical tools to develop or enhance effective programs."
Community Engagement Curriculum Guide (pdf)
This training curriculum is based on a report from the API Institute on Domestic Violence titled "The Community Engagement Continuum: Outreach, Mobilization, Organizing and Accountability to Address Violence Against Women in Asian & Pacific Islander Communities".
Community Insights on Domestic Violence Among African Americans (pdf)
This document examines community perceptions of domestic violence in the lives of African Americans living in the San Francisco/Oakland, California area.
This document explores the attitudes and perceptions of women of color survivors with children. The overarching objective was to hear what women had to say about efforts to engage men and fathers of color as allies in stopping intimate partner violence and restoring health in partnership and parenting. The research was undertaken by the Family Violence Prevention Fund as part of the development of our national violence prevention campaign.
Criminal Victimization, 2008 (pdf)
"The report includes data on violent crimes (rape/sexual assault, robbery, aggravated assault and simple assault), property crimes (burglary, motor vehicle theft and property theft), and personal theft (pocket picking and purse snatching), and the characteristics of victims of these crimes. The report also includes estimates of intimate partner violent crime and use of firearms and other weapons in the commission of violent crime overall."
This report provides an in-depth understanding of domestic violence and as well as the service utilization among eight ethnic minority communities and LGBT populations in King county, Washington.
Culture Handbook (pdf)
"This handbook is designed to be used by advocates and professionals who work with those who are victims of domestic and sexual violence. It provides some basic information on how to understand culture and begin the process of challenging oneself to become more aware of the ways in which culture impacts our work and the lives of those who are victims."
Developing Culturally-Relevant Responses to Domestic Abuse: Asha Family Services, Inc. (pdf)
A model program, Asha Family Services, Inc., is a comprehensive family violence intervention and prevention agency located in Milwaukee, WI. Asha, the first and only recognized culturally-specific family violence intervention and prevention program in Wisconsin, employs methods specific to African American families.
This guide provides best practice guidelines used by organizations to develop linguistically and culturally responsive materials for Latino survivors of domestic violence. The guide also includes a list of Spanish speaking agencies.
Domestic Violence against Women (pdf)
"This briefing kit in Spanish provides concise information on violence against women (VAW) in Latin America and the Caribbean. It consists of fact sheets in easy-to understand language, and is aimed at parliamentarians to help them advance or amend legislation on VAW."
Domestic Violence and Faith Based Communities: Focus on African American Communities
"We know that domestic violence crosses all racial lines and that the root causes are sexism and the acceptance of violence against women in society. However, the dynamics of and contributors to domestic violence are culturally specific. This forum highlights some of the common, complex and culturally specific contributors to violence against African American women. It addresses the role of faith as a resource and a roadblock and offer concrete ways in which faith communities can respond to and support abused women and their children in the African American Community. Hosted by: Aleese Moore-Orbih"
These publications are designed to help researchers, students, human rights practitioners, and the general public gain a better understanding of human rights. Specifically, these publications address domestic violence issues affecting women in the countries that are listed.
Domestic Violence in Communities of Color (pdf)
"This "Facts & Stats Collection" paper highlights specific issues and distinguishing dynamics that confront different women of color, including African American, Asian/Pacific Islander, Hispanic/Latino, and Native American/Alaskan Indian women."
Domestic Violence in Filipino Communities (pdf)
A fact sheet on domestic violence in the Filipino communities and includes a selected list of translated materials and resources in the Tagalog and Ilocano languages.
Domestic Violence in Hmong and Laotian Communities (pdf)
A fact sheet on domestic violence in the Hmong and Laotian communities and includes a list of translated materials in their respective languages.
Domestic Violence in Korean Communities (pdf)
A fact sheet on domestic violence in Korean communities and provides a selected list of translated materials and resources in Korean.
Domestic Violence in South Asian Communities (pdf)
A fact sheet with statistics on domestic violence in Bangladeshi, Bhutanese, Indian, Nepali, Pakistani, and Sri Lankan communities. Also includes a selected list of translated materials in Bengali, Gujrati, Hindi, Punjabi, Tamil, and Urdu languages.
Domestic Violence in Vietnamese Communities (pdf)
A fact sheet that provides statistics on domestic violence in Vietnamese communities, a selection of translated materials for victims and service providers, as well as directories for international resources.
Domestic Violence Materials in Asian & Pacific Islander Languages (pdf)
A list of websites and weblinks containing domestic violence related resources in various Asian and Pacific Islander languages.
Dossier on Domestic Violence in Latin America and the Caribbean
"This publication includes a detailed balance of the work developed in Latin American and the Caribbean to eliminate violence against women. The objective of the publication is to have a tool that will help to design future activities in a more accurate way that take into account the economic, cultural and geographical women's reality of the Region in order to eliminate domestic violence. It also contains guidelines and recommendations for the future work on women’s rights for a life free of violence."
Economic Stress and Domestic Violence
This Applied Research paper provides data on domestic violence rates across social classes, highlights the relationship between economic stress and domestic violence, and explores employment, social support networks, and weaknesses in social services. The paper concludes by discussing strategies that may simultaneously address the intersecting problems of financial distress and DV, including universal screening for DV, responses by employers, and collaboration among social service providers.
Eliminating Barriers to Services for Latina/o Survivors of Sexual and Intimate Partner Violence (pdf)
This is the position statement by Latino advocates to address barriers to services for Latina/o survivors of sexual and intimate partner violence
Emerging issues in domestic/family violence research
"This paper presents an overview of the key emerging issues in Australian domestic and family violence research in the context of gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and intersex communities; the elderly; those with disabilities; people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds; Indigenous communities; homelessness; the impact on children; and issues around perpetrator programs."
Enforcing Domestic Violence Firearm Prohibitions: A Report on Promising Practices (pdf)
"This report highlights promising practices currently employed around the United States and in tribal jurisdictions that represent innovative approaches to enforcing domestic violence firearm prohibitions. It provides brief descriptions of programs that are located primarily in law enforcement agencies, prosecutors’ offices, courts, and probation departments."
Engendering Change: Transforming Gender Roles in Asian & Pacific Islander Communities (pdf)
The introduction begins by providing a description of the societal context in which domestic violence occurs, and leads into a discussion about two batterer intervention programs for Asian men, and concludes with practice implications.
This paper was originally delivered as a talk at the Violence Institute of New Jersey, June 21, 2000. This paper discusses the links between the abuse of women and the maltreatment of their children and the connection between domestic violence and poverty.
Extent, Nature, and Consequences of Intimate Partner Violence (pdf)
"Presents findings from the NVAW Survey on the extent, nature, and consequences of IPV in the US. The survey compares victimization rates among women and men, specific racial groups, Hispanics and non-Hispanics, and same-sex and opposite-sex cohabitants. "
Fact Sheet on Domestic Violence in Muslim Communities (pdf)
This four page fact sheet bullet points domestic violence information and statistics from a variety of studies on Muslim communities and Arab populations. Some resources are also provided.
Facts & Stats: Domestic Violence in Asian, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Homes (pdf)
"Facts & Stats raises awareness about the experiences of Asian, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander battered women; counters denial about the problem; emphasizes the need for socio-culturally effective prevention and intervention; and serves to guide future research and inform public policy."
Family Violence Risk Assessment and Risk Management Framework (pdf)
Developed by independent experts and Victorian service providers, the framework includes three practical guides on identifying and assessing family violence, and includes case studies.
Farsi Lifetime Spiral of Gender Violence (pdf)
Farsi translation of the Lifetime Spiral of Gender Violence. It locates a range of abuses and abusers in the lives of girls and women, revealing patterns of victimization and perpetration.
Focus Groups of African-American Men: Perspectives on Addressing Domestic Violence
This study is the first step toward a larger, multi-site project that would obtain valuable information about how to help African-American men prevent or eliminate violence in relationships. The purpose of this paper is to identify realistic approaches by which African-American men can confront friends, neighbors, relatives, co-workers or strangers, who are African-American men who batter. What is unique about this study is that African-American men are the key informants.
This report summarizes the dialogues from the Women of Color Network (WOCN) focus groups on domestic violence and child welfare. Over one hundred (100) domestic violence and sexual assault activists of color participated in these focus groups. The report includes a set of recommendations and highlights from their conversations regarding issues and barriers for battered women with children from communities of color.
Fuerza Unida: A Manual For Engaging Communities
"This attractive, user-friendly manual is a guide to understanding and working with Latino families experiencing domestic violence. Written primarily for government workers, nonprofit staff members, and other professionals working with Latino clients, it will benefit anyone seeking to relate effectively to our growing Latino communities."
This report is generated from a two-day meeting held in Seattle February 7 – 8, 2004 by an ad-hoc INCITE! Community Accountability in Organizations Working Group. This group specifically gathered to address gender oppression including patriarchical political and work environments, sexual harassment, domestic violence, and sexual assault committed against women/girls/women-identified persons of color within progressive, radical and revolutionary people of color organizations and movement.
Girls Count: A Global Investment & Action Agenda
"This report describes why and how to initiate effective investments that will give adolescent girls in developing countries a full and equal chance for rewarding lives and livelihoods."
"In this paper, the author will examine both the effectiveness of feminist therapy and its limitations when counseling immigrant and racially visible women who have been abused. The author will also describe the reality of domestic violence among these women and how their needs differ from women in the dominant culture. Strategies for a more inclusive form of feminist therapy will also be offered as alternatives to existing modes of practice and assessment."
Helping Culturally Diverse Victims of Interpersonal Violence: Avoiding Stereotypes & Meetings Needs
"This forum discusses the need to take people's culture into account when providing them with services for interpersonal violence and avoiding the trap of treating people in a cookie-cutter way, based on stereotypes about their culture. This forum is hosted by Lisa Aronson Fontes, PhD. Lisa is a Core Faculty Member in Union Institute & University's Psy.D. Program in Clinical Psychology and has dedicated almost 20 years to making the social service and mental health systems more responsive to culturally diverse people."
Helping Young Children Affected by Domestic Violence: The Role of Pediatric Health Settiings (pdf)
This paper is part of series of paper that addresses the way to mobilize community and programatic resources to provide responsive help to children and families affected both by domestic violence and poverty. This particular paper addresses importance of pediatric health care and mental health care in addressing domestic violence.
Linda v. Lyle - A Case Study. Looks at the possibility that some or all high-conflict divorces are actually the manifestation of stalking behaviors by wealthy domestic abusers. Part I compares and contrasts the research on batterers and stalkers to the literature on high-conflict divorce. In Part II, an actual high-conflict case is described. Part III explores the lack of consumer protection. Part IV offers a modest proposal that may discourage protracted Family Court litigation and calls for studies that apply stalking and battering dynamics to high-conflict divorce so stalking by way of Family Court can be quantified and illuminated.
Hispanic Victims of Violent Crime, 1993-2000 (pdf)
"Examines violent crimes committed against Hispanic victims including rape, sexual assault, robbery, and aggravated and simple assault. Crime victimizations are compared with those of four non-Hispanic groups: whites, blacks, American Indians, and Asians."
Human Rights Dialogue: Violence Against Women (pdf)
This special edition of the magazine explores how women's advocates are challenging the public/private divide, the cultural and religious objections to granting women's rights, and the common blindness to linkages between violence against women and the deprivation of other rights, specifically economic and social rights.
Immigrant and Refugee Power and Control Wheel
Throughout the world, women are victims of domestic violence just as there are battered women in the United States. Immigrant and refugee women know that in their countries of origin, women have been tortured with sexual abuse by the army/rebels, kidnapped into prostitution, forced into marriages, killed in honor killings, used for sexual slavery, stoned to death and often experience other gender related abuses. This Immigrant and Refugee Power and Control Wheel is an adaptation of the Duluth Power and Conrol wheel created by attendees Immigrant & Refugee Women Support Group in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Immigrant Populations as Victims: Toward a Multicultural Criminal Justice System (pdf)
"This report summarizes findings from a study about the criminal justice system's approach to immigrant victims of crime and barriers that prohibit immigrants from reporting crimes."
Immigrant South Asian Women at Greater Risk for Injury From Intimate Partner Violence (pdf)
"Factors related to immigration may place South Asian immigrant women at increased risk for intimate partner violence. The purpose of the current study was to assess the relations between immigration-related factors and intimate partner violence among a sample of South Asian women residing in the United States."
Immigrant Women and Domestic Violence
This special collection highlights the common experiences of immigrant women who are in abusive relationships, the legal protections and public benefits available, and practices and suggestions for increasing the effectiveness of services provided to immigrant women.
"This Trainer's Manual was developed to help health care providers and domestic violence advocates meet the challenge of training clinicians and other staff within the busy clinic or hospital setting. The Manual provides step-by-step instructions for teaching each section of the Resource Manual including the basics of domestic violence, clinical skills, legal issues, community resources, and role play scenarios. It also includes a special module on cultural diversity."
This report addresses API domestic violence intervention strategies within the U.S. as both accommodations and alternatives to mainstream domestic violence programs. They have adopted mainstream assumptions and approaches. And, they have crafted innovations based upon necessity and, in some cases, vision and intentionality. Emerging themes as discussed by the API women interviewed in this report highlight a number of areas which capture our attention for further exploration. While the findings of this report bring up broad, diverse and, at times, contradictory policies and practices among API programs, existing models, themes and interventions for the future programs are examined.
Intersecting Inequalities: Immigrant Women of Colour, Violence and Health Care
This report focuses on racialized immigrant women who have experienced intimate violence and their access to the health care system. The paper reviews current literature and identifies key variables that contribute to immigrant women's vulnerability to violence and lack of access to health care. The response of health care service providers is also examined.
Intimate Partner Violence in China: National Prevalence, Risk Factors and Associated Health Problems
This paper presents the country’s first national estimates of domestic violence. The authors find that sexual jealousy, alcohol consumption, low female contribution to the household income and low socioeconomic status are among a range of factors that make violence more likely.
"This document describes intimate partner violence (IPV) in immigrant and refugee communities in the United States. The report contains four main sections: background information on the incidence of the problem among immigrant and refugee communities, an overview of the needs and challenges of immigrant and refugee IPV victims and service providers, recommendations for funders, service providers and policy-makers, and lastly a discussion of IPV research and evaluation issues to be addressed in immigrant and refugee communities."
Iraq: Insecurity and Violence Against Women
"This document aims to raise awareness about some of the realities facing women in Iraq. The collection focuses more specifically on how current events in Iraq have uniquely impacted Iraqi women and have engendered various forms of violence against women."
Jewish Perspectives in Domestic Violence (word)
"In this paper, the author proposes different ideas relevant to Judaism in regard to domestic violence, offers Jewish precepts and texts, raises current problems for Jewish battered women, describes Jewish programs working to eliminate domestic violence, makes known Jews in the movement/field, cites Jewish Domestic Violence cases, and concludes with Creating Rituals and Blessings."
Korean Lifetime Spiral of Gender Violence (pdf)
"Korean translation of the Lifetime Spiral of Gender Violence. The spiral implicitly locates a range of abuses in the lives of girls and women, revealing patterns of victimization and perpetration. The Lifetime Spiral is designed to be used by everyone to identify histories of violence in their own lives or in the lives of family and friends."
Latina Cultural Context and Advocacy (pdf)
This document is designed for advocates working with Latina victims of domestic violence. It is intended to help inform advocates of the cultural contexts through which Latina victims see their world, in order to provide culturally informed services.
Law of Protection from Family Violence in Peru
Discusses domestic violence and the Law of Protection from Family Violence in Peru.
This document introduces voices of battered immigrant, refugee and indegenious women who were also involved in Child Protection Services. The document explores how community approach can enhance the physical, spiritual and mental health of individuals, families and communities and how this concept can be well utilized for policy and practice for social services.
Local Police Enforcement of Immigration Laws and its Effects on Victims of Domestic Violence
This paper warns that local police and prosecutors should be prepared for the predictable reduction in reporting of serious crimes if law enforcement officers chose to expand their duties to include the policing of immigration matters. The author argues roles of local police is not enforcing immigration law in securing safety for victims of domestic violence.
"This report provides extensive research of the mail-order bride industry in the United Kingdom. The industry is linked to the promotion of trafficking, prostitution, pornography and slavery. The report suggests that this industry not only exploits vulnerable groups of women but also reinforces racial and ethnic stereotypes. Recommendations are given on what the government can do to further protect women."
Mexico: Amnesty International Submission to the UN Universal Periodic Review
An Amnesty International report submitted to the United Nations Human Rights Council in February 2009. The report highlighted problems in the area of violence against women, in particular, the prevalence of domestic violence in Mexico and the femicides in Ciudad Juarez along the U.S.-Mexican border.
This protocol/policy model intends to support domestic violence agencies in the state of Washington to increase and extend the services to immigrant and refugee women whose primary language is not English. However, this information will be relevant to any agency that is a recipient of federal funding.
Model Tribal Domestic Violence Full Faith and Credit Ordinance
A sample document of a tribal domestic violence full faith and credit ordinance.
National Crime Victimization Survey Criminal Victimization, 2007 (pdf)
"Presents estimates of rates and levels of personal and property victimization for 2007 and describes the substantial fluctuations in the survey measures of the crime rates from 2005 through 2007. The report includes data on violent crimes (rape/sexual assault, robbery, aggravated assault and simple assault), property crimes (burglary, motor vehicle theft and property theft), and personal theft (pocket picking and purse snatching), and the characteristics of victims of these crimes."
National Trends in Intimate Partner Homicides: Explaining Declines in Canada, 1976 to 2001
"In the past decade, research has begun to identify factors that may be contributing to declines in spousal homicide. The authors address two gaps in the Canadian literature: (a) the documentation of trends, including subgroup variations, and (b) the identification of factors that may be associated with declines. Results indicate that shifts in relative employment and divorce rates appear to be associated with declining rates for women, whereas shifts in men's education and divorce rates appear to be associated with declining rates of spousal homicide for men."
Originally presented by Susan Schechter as a talk at the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence Statewide Training Institute, March 17, 1997, Harrisburg, PA and revised for the Iowa Coalition Against Domestic Violence Administrative Development Conference, May 8, 1997, Ames, Iowa.
New York City Domestic Violence Fatality Review Committee Annual Report 2008 (pdf)
This report describes family-related homicides that occurred in New York City between 2002 and 2007. Includes key findings, risk factors, and action steps in response to findings.
This document presents a general overview of discourses on culture, religion, and tradition that are used to justify violence against women and looks at cases in various countries, as well as methods to counter such arguments. The paper also provides recommendations for activists, scholars, and policy makers.
Pakistan: Honor Killings of Girls and Women
January 1999. First Amnesty International report ever to focus on human rights violations not committed by government agents. Reveals that hundreds of women in Pakistan are murdered each year in the name of "honor." Offers recommendations for discouraging "honor killings."
Patriarchal Beliefs and Perceptions of Abuse among South Asian Immigrant Women
"This study investigates the relationship between South Asian immigrant women’s patriarchal beliefs and their perceptions of spousal abuse. Twenty-minute telephone surveys were conducted with 47 women.As hypothesized, higher agreement with patriarchal social norms predicted a decreased likelihood of identifying the woman in the vignette as a victim of spousal abuse. This finding is discussed in terms of its application to violence against women educational programs in the South Asian immigrant community."
Police in the Lives of Young Children Exposed to Domestic Violence (pdf)
This paper is part of series of paper that addresses the way to mobilize community and programatic resources to provide responsive help to children and families affected both by domestic violence and poverty. This particular paper explores the important roles the police officer can play in assisting children and families experiencing domestic violence.
Poverty, Welfare and Battered Women: What Does the Research Tell Us?
This paper provides a brief summary of several very recent studies, focusing on the extent and impact of domestic violence among poor women and women on welfare. The overview concludes with implications of this research for the new TANF welfare program.
Preliminary Adaptations for Working with Traumatized Latino/Hispanic Children and Their Families (pdf)
The Culture and Trauma Briefs series serves to
support the NCTSN commitment to raising
the standard of care for traumatized children,
their families, and their communities by
highlighting the diversity of needs and
experiences of those children, families, and
communities.
This report was developed through information gathered via a preliminary focus group of bilingual/bicultural therapists at a children's hospital in California to address the needs of diverse Latino populations seeking care.
Prevalence and Determinants of Intimate Partner Abuse Among Public Hospital Primary Care Patients (pdf)
"The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence, sociodemographic determinants, and depression correlates of intimate partner abuse among an ethnically diverse population of women patients."
Prevalence and Predictors of Physical Partner Abuse Among Mexican American Women (pdf)
"This study determined the lifetime prevalence of physical abuse by a current partner among women of Mexican origin and assessed factors associated with abuse."
Prevalence of Intimate Partner Violence Against Women in Regions of Brazil (pdf)
"This article analyzes the results from the 'WHO Multi-country Study on Women’s Health and Domestic Violence,' on the prevalence of intimate partner violence against women in Brazil."
Progress of South Asian Women 2005 (pdf)
"The document presents a snapshot of women's situation in South Asia, an overview of the processes at work promoting the advancement of women, and identifies gaps during the period 2000–2005. Some of the challenges noted are disproportionate returns to contributions, the added "burden of care," a declining sex ratio, increased gender-based violence, trafficking of women and girls, and the spread of HIV/AIDS."
This report examines innovative partnership designed to assist the employment needs of immigrant women who are survivors of domestic violence.
Psychological Abuse: A Discussion Paper (pdf)
"This paper is a review of research on psychological abuse in interpersonal and family relationships including in settings such as long-term care residences.The paper presents research findings on the personal, economic and health related costs of psychological abuse to the individual and to society, and briefly outlines legal recourses for victims. It concludes by exploring ways to recognize and address psychological abuse, while emphasizing the importance of developing holistic approaches "
Raising Public Awareness on Domestic Violence in Indian Country (pdf)
In collaboration with the South Dakota Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault, its member organizations and Native American advocates throughout the state, Cangleska, Inc., the violence against women intervention and shelter program on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota, developed domestic violence public awareness materials focusing specifically on rural and Native American communities. Materials included posters, public service announcements used in radio talk shows and an updated version of a domestic violence handbook for Lakota communities.
Reasonable Efforts or Unrealistic Expectations: A Look at Hennepin County Child Protection Cases (pdf)
"The purpose of this report is to identify ways in which Hennepin County could provide greater support for families throughout the Children in Need of Protection or Services (CHIPS) process and improve the systems in which judges, social workers, and guardians ad litem (GAL) are operating."
This paper examines the context of intimate partner violence in Sub-Saharan Africa, outlines the intersections between partner violence and reproductive health, and considers the opportunities for linkage at the program and service levels. In addition, it explores the opportunities and challenges related to developing an active response to domestic violence within reproductive health services in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Scope of the Problem: Domestic Violence in Asian, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Homes (pdf)
This document provides information on the prevalence rates of domestic violence in the API communities, unique dynamics in families, socio-cultural barriers in getting help, and highlights the need for ethnic diversity and culturally competent programs.
Security Begins at Home (pdf)
The Kosova Women’s Network released the country’s first study on domestic violence, called Security Begins at Home. The report highlights key points such as: what the citizens of Kosovo perceive as domestic violence, the forms and consequences of domestic violence, citizens' response to ending it, and the legal and institutional gaps in addressing it.
Seeking Protection: Addressing Sexual and Domestic Violence in Tanzania's Refugee Camps
This report documents how Burundian refugee women confront daily violence in Tanzanian refugee camps.
Sexual Violence against Asian, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Women (pdf)
This document provides guidelines for advocates on various points of intersection of domestic and sexual violence in the API communities.
Shattered Hearts: The Commercial Sexual Exploitation of American Indian Women and Girls in Minnesota (pdf)
A groundbreaking report released by the Minnesota Indian Women’s Resource Center (MIWRC) highlights the alarming and pervasive sex trafficking of American Indian women and girls in Minnesota. The first comprehensive report of its kind, it highlights risk factors for victims that include poverty, a disproportionate number of American Indian homeless, high incidences of overall sexual assault, Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) and pervasive multi-generational trauma.
Shattered Lives: Homicides, Domestic Violence and Asian Families (pdf)
This report focuses on domestic violence related homicides as a critical issue affecting Asian, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander battered women since 2001. Types of domestic violence related homicides, children as victims, and perpetrator types are discussed. Findings and recommendations are also provided.
Silence is Violence: End the Abuse of Women in Afghanistan (pdf)
A new United Nations (UN) report on women in Afghanistan that focuses on the growing trend of violence and threats against women in public life and rape/sexual violence. The report concludes that these forms of violence are a huge occurrence in the everyday lives of Afghan women and the government has a crucial role in helping to eradicate these harmful practices towards women.
Silent Epidemic: A Survey of Violence Among Young Asian American Women
This report examines the impact of sexual violence, intimate partner violence and stalking on young Asian American women. The study also examines levels of awareness, prevalence, and access to services. It also addresses cultural and institutional barriers that Asian American victims of sexual violence, intimate partner violence and stalking may face.
Socioeconomic Factors and Processes Associated With Domestic Violence in Rural Bangladesh
This document examines the types and severity of domestic violence, and explores the pathways through which women's social and economic circumstances may influence their vulnerability to violence in marriage in rural Bangladesh.
State of World Population 2008 Reaching Common Ground: Culture, Gender, and Human Rights (pdf)
"This report gives an overview of the conceptual human rights frameworks as well as the practice of development, looking at the everyday events that make up people’s experience of development. The report presents some of the challenges and dilemmas of culturally sensitive strategies and suggests how partnerships can address them. The focus is on discussing and showcasing how culturally sensitive approaches are critical for the realization of human rights in general and women’s rights in particular."
"This 2008 report provides detailed information on the status of girls in Minnesota. It also serves as a tool for advocates, researchers, and policy makers in developing a set of interventions that will ensure girls’ economic, social, and political equality in the state. "
Substance Abuse Among Southeast Asians in the U.S.: Implications for Practice and Research
"The literature on Asian-American substance use has shown a general increase in consumption and related problems due, in part, to the effects of acculturation toward U.S. drinking norms. Southeast Asians arc the most recent of Asian groups to come to the U.S., and have done so following an immigration and refugee experience that was among the most traumatic in recent memory resulting in significant levels of psychosocial distress. The combined influences of mental health disorders, which frequently co-occur with substance abuse, and acculturation pressures suggest that a significant increase in substance abuse problems may be in progress for Southeast Asian immigrants. The current article outlines the literature on substance abuse among Vietnamese, Cambodians and Laotians in the U.S., and makes tentative recommendations for assessment, treatment and future research."
Surveillance for Violent Deaths -- National Violent Death Reporting System, 16 States, 2005
"This report summarizes data from CDC's National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS) regarding violent deaths from 16 U.S. states for 2005. Results are reported by sex, age group, race/ethnicity, marital status, location of injury, method of injury, circumstances of injury, and other selected characteristics."
Tagalog Lifetime Spiral of Gender Violence (pdf)
"Tagalog translation of the Lifetime Spiral of Gender Violence. The spiral implicitly locates a range of abuses in the lives of girls and women, revealing patterns of victimization and perpetration. The Lifetime Spiral is designed to be used by everyone to identify histories of violence in their own lives or in the lives of family and friends."
This report conceptualizes the Community Engagement Continuum in order to categorize a range of community based approaches in the anti-violence movement and to clarify the goals of engagement. The four points on the continuum--community outreach and education, community mobilization, community organizing, and community accountability--are defined by the level to which the strategies used lead to increases in the community's capacity to transform relations of power.
The Crossing Borders Self-Assessment Guide (pdf)
"A tool kit for doing the "inside work" within programs to strengthen and expand services for immigrant survivors of domestic violence."
The Facts about Domestic Violence
This fact sheet provides current information and statistics on domestic violence. Information includes a working definition, exploration of how different communities are affected by domestic violence and legal protections for victims of domestic violence.
The Impact of Conflict on Women and Girls in West and Central Africa and the UNICEF response (pdf)
"This first-of-its-kind study by UNICEF on the situation of war-affected girls and women in the region highlights innovative programmes being implemented with partners to address the impact of conflict, and recommends how UNICEF can more proactively champion the rights of girls - particularly adolescent girls."
The Multiple Faces of the Intersections between HIV and Violence Against Women (pdf)
"The report compiles various articles that describe the intersection of and links between violence against women and the increasing number of HIV/AIDS transmissions among women. The publishers hope to prompt discussion and efforts focused on creating integrated policies and programs that address violence against women and HIV."
This document examines the relationship between intimate partner violence and unintended pregnancy. This paper also calls on reproductive health programs to incorporate screenings for intimate partner violence among patients.
The Social Construction of Wife Abuse: Experiences of Asian Indian Women in the United States
"The terms wife abuse and battered woman were coined in the 1970s. Although such naming is meaningful, these social constructions are restrictive so that only a narrow range of behaviors and people fit these labels. With the help of interviews with Hindu Asian Indian immigrants, this article highlights the importance of including the experiences of diverse groups of women in any analysis of domestic violence. The study challenges the popular perception of abused women, specifically South Asian battered women, as passive victims."
"This briefing paper addresses the needs of the women of the Gulf Coast region and uncovers the multiple disadvantages experienced by women affected by both hurricane Katrina and Rita."
Towards a Common European Framework to Monitor Progress in Combating Violence Against Women (pdf)
"Contains proposals for policies and indicators that could form the basis for a tool to monitor State progress in combating violence against women, as well as case studies of European initiatives that illustrate good practices."
This study examined the experiences of domestic violence of Hispanic and Anglo women recruited at a domestic violence shelter. It documented and compared the domestic violence experiences of women living in rural communities, examined the various correlates of the domestic violence, and evaluated the formal services offered to study participants by the local shelter, courts, and law enforcement over a 1-year period.
Unheard Voices: Domestic Violence in Asian American Communities
This report examines the strategy and methodology used in collecting critical information about the attitudes as well as the strategies used by the varied Asian American communities to combat domestic violence. Focus groups were organized to examine common cultural attitudes and beliefs on domestic violence among the Asian immigrant groups. The findings of these focus groups are discussed.
Victim Services: Promising Practices in Indian Country (pdf)
This monograph describes promising practices for meeting the needs of victims of violence and domestic and family abuse in Indian Country. Each of the 12 program summaries includes a description of the program’s activities, keys to its success, basic demographic data (e.g., service area and population), and contact information.
Vietnamese Lifetime Spiral of Gender Violence (pdf)
Vietnamese translation of the Lifetime Spiral of Gender Violence.
"Intimate partner violence against immigrant women is at epidemic proportions, but research has only recently begun to address the concern. A review of the legal, medical, and social science research literature reveals little data, but that which exist demonstrate that immigrant women's cultures, contexts, and legal status (a) increase vulnerability for abuse, (b) are used by batterers to control and abuse immigrant women, and (c) create barriers to women seeking and receiving help. Data also reveal that immigrant culture and context offer resiliency factors through which programs and policy can be used to better serve these populations."
Violence Against Native Women: A Guide for Practitioner Action (pdf)
This paper is intended to serve as a guide to practitioners who represent Native women who are the victims of domestic and sexual violence. It is dedicated to the brave Native women whose faces are behind the horrifying statistics. Includes practice tips for law enforcement, tribal leaders, judges, advocates, attorneys, prosecutors, and probation/parole officers.
Violence Against Women: Classic Papers
The purpose of this project was to assemble some of the classic works in the field of violence against women so that new generations of students, practitioners, and researchers would have a collective understanding of the work that has shaped the field. Included are commentaries from the original authors, when available, reflecting on why they authored the work when they did and the influence of their work on the field.
Violence Against Women: Identifying Risk Factors (pdf)
This NIJ Research in Brief combines the results taken from two studies, one of which followed college women and men for 4 years, and the other, which followed low-income, mostly black women who had been victims of childhood sexual abuse. Each study found that child sexual abuse alone was a risk factor only when combined with adolescent sexual abuse. Although each study examined a narrowly defined population, taken together, both studies came to remarkably similar conclusions.
Violence in the Lives of Children (pdf)
"This data brief from Child Trends reviews data on the types of violence experienced by U.S. children, including exposure to violence through media to abuse by parents and peers. Differences by age, gender, and race/ethnicity are discussed along with priorities for filling gaps in the data that is available on this topic."
Visibility Through Data: Health Information for Urban American Indian and Alaska Native Communities (pdf)
"This report summarizes information for providers working toward improving the health and well-being of urban American Indian and Alaska Native communities and is a resource that highlights specific health issues facing this population. "
WHO Multi-country Study on Women's Health and Domestic Violence – Country Findings: Brazil
"This fact sheet provides information on the methods and main findings of the study, with regard to the phenomenon of intimate partner violence against women in Brazil. Data on sexual abuse and non-partner physical and sexual violence is also included."
Women in Mongolia: Mapping Progress under Transition
This publication tells of Mongolian women's experiences in the context of the political and economic transformation of their country. It shares reports of women encouraged to bear many children, inadequate health care or resources, and high rates of maternal mortality. Recommendations informed through case studies are presented for improving their social and economic status and increasing their political participation.
Working to End Violence Against Women in Brazil
"This VAWnet special collection highlights and celebrates the tremendous work being done in Brazil to end violence against women. The selected materials and resources provide a snapshot of the magnitude of the problem and highlight various recommendations for public policy as well as opportunities for community involvement and action."
This paper is part of series of papers that addresses the way to mobilize community and programatic resources to provide responsive help to children and families affected both by domestic violence and poverty. This particular paper addresses the way to offer support and safety for children while maintaining safety, autonomy and choide for battered women.
This paper is part of series of paper that addresses the way to mobilize community and programatic resources to provide responsive help to children and families affected both by domestic violence and poverty. This particular paper addresses impacts of adult domestic violence to young children through developmental risk and resiliency.
Consequences
15 Years of the United Nations Rapporteur on Violence against Women, Its Causes and Consequences (pdf)
This report reviews the status of violence against women as researched in 14 annual reports, 32 country mission reports, and 11 communication reports published as recently as December 2008. The report focuses on reproductive health and rights, poverty, migration, internally displaced persons (IDPs), women refugees, trafficking, aging, and adolescent girls. It also highlights how the mandate on violence against women has changed, what has been learned, and problems still to be addressed.
2006 WATCH Victim Impact Statement Study (pdf)
This study addresses victim impact statements as given in court regarding incidences of domestic violence and/or sexual assault and the effect these statements had on the judge regarding sentencing.
2010 Femicide Report (pdf)
Each year, the Minnesota Coalition for Battered Women monitors information about women and children murdered in our state to educate the public about the lethality of domestic violence and child abuse. This report is compiled from news accounts and information provided by law enforcement agencies, county attorneys, court administrators, battered women's programs, and family members and friends of murder victims.
2011 Minnesota Femicide Report (pdf)
The Minnesota Coalition for Battered Women (MCBW) tracks all homicides in the State of Minnesota that result from domestic violence involving a current or former intimate partner. This is the 2011 reporting of those findings.
A Judicial Checklist for Children and Youth Exposed to Violence (Informational Reading) (pdf)
A technical assistance brief that addresses the need for judges to understand the impact violence has on children and adolescents. The detailed checklist outlining information for judges to consider is located separate from this material.
Abuse of Pregnant Women and Adverse Birth Outcome: Current Knowledge and Implications for Practice
This study summarizes the prevalence of abuse among women who are pregnant and the subsequent implications associated with their delivery and the health of the newborn infant.
Advocacy Matters: Helping Mothers and Their Children Involved with the Child Protection System (pdf)
This publication gives domestic violence experts the information they need to deal successfully with child protection systems and to help battered mothers whose children have been removed from their care. Advocacy Matters includes general information and tips that help advocates better address the needs of battered mothers and their children.
Assessing Risk To Children From Batterers (pdf)
This document provides an overview of potential sources of physical and psychological injury to children from contact with batterers, details recommendations for evaluating the risk to children and provides assessment guidelines that professionals can apply in cases where a batterer admits to a history of abusiveness by asserting that he has changed. Information is also provided regarding the necessary context for children's recovery from exposure to battering behavior.
Assessment for Lifetime Exposure to Violence as a Pathway to Prevention
Provides a brief overview of the research on lifetime exposure to violence and the long-term health consequences of violence. It also examines how assessment for lifetime exposure to violence can create a pathway to prevention and addresses the long-term consequences of exposure to violence over the lifespan.
Baseline Survey on Sexual and Gender Based Violence in Rwanda (pdf)
"This study was conducted to shed light on the magnitude of sexual and gender-based violence in Rwanda, and to determine and analyze the perceptions that communities have about the nature, causes and consequences of incidents of violence. This study also explores the subsequent actions that survivors have taken, and evaluates the role of various stakeholders in preventing and fighting sexual and gender-based violence."
Behind Closed Doors: The Impact of Domestic Violence on Children (pdf)
This document is a collection of information about the extent of child exposure, the key finding of the research in this field, and recommendations for policymakers.
Broken Trust: Elders, Family & Finances (pdf)
"This is a report of a collaborative study of elder financial abuse. The study examines the prevalence as well as characteristics of victims and perpetrators of financial elder abuse and offers suggestions for identifying and addressing this problem. "
Child Witnesses to Domestic Violence - Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions about child witnessing of domestic violence are answered along with information about how children are impacted, the long-term effects, and how to help.
Child Witnesses to Domestic Violence: A Meta-Analytic Review (pdf)
This study compared children exposed to domestic violence to children not so exposed. The results showed that child witnesses to domestic violence exhibit more negative outcomes.
Children and Domestic Violence (pdf)
This document is based on a presentation done by Steve Cohen. It reviews the impact of exposure to domestic violence on children, the scope of the problem, and a variety of resources are also provided.
Children and Family Violence: The Unnoticed Victims
May 1994 report based on a New Zealand study. This document goes into detail about child exposure to domestic violence and the consequences of such witnessing.
Children Exposed to Domestic Violence (pdf)
In this brief, an outline is provided that details the domestic violence problem, how it effects children by age and gender, the connection between DV and child abuse, and Rhode Islands specific efforts to combat the problem.
This 26-page resource helps educators understand how violence affects children at different ages, what teachers may see in the classroom, teaching strategies, handling parent-attended events, and supporting students who disclose.
Children's Exposure to Domestic Violence: A Guide to Research and Resources (pdf)
Published in collaborative work with the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges and the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, this document outlines: the impace of domestic violence on children, the legal issues and system responses affecting children exposed to domestic violence, and provides useful resources which address this specific area of interest.
Children's Exposure to Violence: The Safe Start Initiative (pdf)
This April 2001 Factsheet presents an overview of the Safe Start Initiative. Researchers estimate that as many as 10 million U.S. children witness or are victims of violence in their homes or communities each year. The Safe Start Initiative, which was developed by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention in partnership with the Office of Justice Programs and the Department of Health and Human Services, is designed to prevent and reduce the impact of violence on young children and their families through the development of comprehensive and collaborative service delivery systems.
Children's Witnessing of Adult Domestic Violence (pdf)
This article focuses on understanding on how witnessing violence in defined, what we know about its effects on children, and how such information may be used or misused.
Children, Young People and Domestic Violence (pdf)
The author explores "the ways in which children and young people experience domestic violence," as well as the impact it has on child development and the response by professionals and the child protection system is also reviewed.
Cost of Intimate Partner Violence Against Women in the United States (pdf)
This report describes briefly the development of the requested study; presents findings for the estimated incidence, prevalence, and costs of nonfatal and fatal IPV; identifies future research needs; and highlights CDC’s research priorities for IPV prevention.
This report summarizes studies that have estimated economic costs of intimate partner violence against women, and lays out a framework to measure the costs of intimate partner violence in developing countries, factoring in prevention, response, and opportunity costs.
Developmental Status and Early Intervention Service Needs of Maltreated Children (pdf)
"In this report, published by the Institute for Social and Economic Development, the authors analyze findings from the National Early Intervention Longitudinal Study and the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being. They provide information about the developmental status and early intervention service needs of children under age three who are substantiated for maltreatment. Topics include: 1) the extent to which maltreated children have developmental problems or are subject to factors associated with poor developmental outcomes; 2) the services maltreated children might be eligible for and ones they receive through the child welfare systems; 3) case characteristics, such as child welfare setting, that impact the effect of developmental services; and 4) existing barriers to services."
Domestic Violence Against Women and Girls (pdf)
"UNICEF's report discusses the scope and magnitude of the problem, causes and consequences of domestic violence, the socio-economic costs of violence, strategies and interventions, and state obligations with regard to domestic violence."
Domestic Violence and children: Analysis and Recommendations
This document reviews the prevalence of child exposure to domestic violence by documenting their existence in all segments of the community. The impact of exposure on children is also discussed.
Domestic Violence and Homelessness Factsheet (pdf)
This is a clear and concise statement of the overlap between these two problems.
Domestic Violence and Welfare Reform
From the September 1997, issue of Issue Notes by the Welfare Information Network. Reports how various states approach welfare reform for victims of domestic violence.
Domestic Violence Counts 2010: A 24-hour census of domestic violence shelters and services (pdf)
For the fifth consecutive year, NNEDV conducted the one-day, unduplicated count of adults and children seeking domestic violence services in the U.S., documenting the number of individuals who sought services, the types of services requested, the number of service requests that went unmet because of lack of resources, and the issues and barriers that domestic violence programs are facing as they strive to provide services to victims of domestic violence. The results are published in this report.
Domestic Violence Has a Significant and Lasting Impact on Our Community and Beyond (pdf)
This document begins with statistics about domestic violence in the Chicago suburban area, then moves on to provide statistics on a state level, a national level, and a global level.
Economic Violence To Women and Girls: Is It Receiving the Necessary Attention? (pdf)
"This paper seeks to draw attention to the types of economic violence experienced by women, and describes its consequences on health and development. Recommendations for practice, policy, and research are also given."
This document examines 4,032 incidents in which males assaulted their female intimate partners, comparing the number of repeat offenses when batterers are and are not arrested.
Effects of Domestic Violence on Children
Binnie discusses the resulting behaviors and manifestations of child exposure to domestic violence, variables/demographics that impact the response, and patterns of abuse, with a focus on Iowa laws.
Effects of Domestic Violence on Children and Adolescents: An Overview
The article examines the prevalence and domestic violence as a cause of traumatic stress in children.
Effects of Domestic Violence on Women: FAQs
Commonly asked questions along with extensive and valuable answers are included in this document. A Safety Plan and a Children's Bill of Rights are provided as well.
A discussion about the impact of domestic violence characterizes this document, and is supplemented with a review of the impact at the various stages of child development.
Emerging Responses to Children Exposed to Domestic Violence
"This document reviews the new research, policies, and programs focused on children who have witnessed adult domestic violence. It argues that the diversity of children’s experiences requires equally diverse responses from those who serve them."
Exposure to Violence: Psychological and Academic Correlates in Child Witnesses
2001 Report. Inner-city children are frequently exposed to violence; however, there are few data regarding the psychological and academic correlates of such exposure in young children at school entry. This study aims to document exposure to violence in inner-city children aged 7 years; assess their feelings of distress; and evaluate the relationships of exposure to violence with school performance, behavior, and self-esteem.
Exposure to Violence: Psychological and Academic Correlates in Child Witnesses
2001 Report. Inner-city children are frequently exposed to violence; however, there are few data regarding the psychological and academic correlates of such exposure in young children at school entry. This study aims to document exposure to violence in inner-city children aged 7 years; assess their feelings of distress; and evaluate the relationships of exposure to violence with school performance, behavior, and self-esteem.
Extent, Nature, and Consequences of Intimate Partner Violence (pdf)
"Presents findings from the NVAW Survey on the extent, nature, and consequences of IPV in the US. The survey compares victimization rates among women and men, specific racial groups, Hispanics and non-Hispanics, and same-sex and opposite-sex cohabitants. "
Facts About Intimate Partner Strangulation (pdf)
A recent fact sheet created by the Minnesota Coalition for Battered Women as part of a statewide training for law enforcement officers, prosecutors, and advocates titled the Anatomy of Strangulation.
Facts: Intimate Partner Violence for the World Report on Violence and Health
"Describes the global epidemic of IPV in the following categories: The Extent of the Problem; The Consequences of Intimate Partner Violence; What are the Risk Factors for Intimate Partner Violence?; & What Can be Done to Prevent Intimate Partner Violence?"
Family Violence Protocol Development
Practice paper from a series of papers for an initiative to provide technical assistance to state administrators and domestic violence advocates implementing the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (PRWORA) in TANF and child support enforcement (CSE) contexts. This initiative is a partnership between the National Resource Center on Domestic Violence (NRC) and the Administration for Children and Families, DHHS. This practice paper provides detailed guidance on developing family violence protocols for: the disclosure of domestic violence information; TANF/CSE program response to such disclosures; and the safe enforcement of child support when family violence may be a risk.
Family Violence: A Review of the Dysfunctional Behavior Patterns
December 2000 article. This Study examines family violence and the commonality of mental illness and other psychological problems experienced by the victims.
This report exposes the difficulties domestic violence survivor-defendants have in receiving fair sentencing when they are prosecuted for crimes related to their abuse. Using an international human rights framework, the report obliges the U.S. government to “prevent, investigate, and punish violence against women.”
Georgia Domestic Violence Fatality Review Report (pdf)
The Report analyzes single-victim homicides and near-deadly assaults, provides strategies for ending domestic violence, and spotlights communities that have successfully implemented recommendations from previous reports.
Healing the Invisible Wounds: Children's Exposure to Violence A Guide for Families (pdf)
"This booklet helps parents and other caregivers understand the potential impact of exposure to violence on the development of their children, and provides practical suggestions for supporting the healing process."
Healthy Marriage and the Legacy of Child Maltreatment: A Child Welfare Perspective (pdf)
"This brief explores how childhood experiences, specifically child maltreatment and involvement with the child welfare system, impact the potential for a healthy, lasting marriage. The author also offers recommendations for addressing the unique needs of couples in which one or both partners have experienced childhood maltreatment."
Helping Children Cope with Violence: A School-Based Program That Works (pdf)
Violence is one of our most significant public health issues. Children exposed to violence frequently develop post-traumatic stress symptoms. They are more likely to have behavioral problems, poorer school performance, more days of school absence, and feelings of depression and anxiety. School officials are often willing to provide help at school. But these professionals face an important question: What works? There have been no randomized controlled trials of intervention effectiveness with which to answer this question. To fill this gap, a team of clinician-researchers from several institutions collaborated to develop, implement, and evaluate an intervention designed to help children traumatized by violence. The team included professionals from the RAND Corporation, the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA), and the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD).
This 76-page resource is written for service providers assisting women who have survived woman abuse. Material addresses the needs of abused women as mothers, how abusive men parent, how abusive men affect family dynamics, effects of power and control tactics on mothers, the potential impact of woman abuse on children of different ages, and strategies used by young people to cope with violence in their homes. Guidance on parenting children who have lived with violence is also offered. Forty-four pages are designed as handouts for women, to be distributed as an adjunct to individual or group interventions on woman abuse or on parenting.
Helping with Domestic Violence: Legal Barriers to Serving Teens in Illinois (pdf)
November 2000. Report based on focus groups and interviews with a total of 110 service providers and teen groups in 1999-2000 to determine why so few services were available for teen victims of domestic violence. This research isolated a variety of Illinois laws and regulations that served as barriers. Subsequent review of laws in other states found that on some issues Illinois laws were more helpful to minors, but that in several key instances Illinois laws are in need of change. This report focuses on legal barriers to providing services to teen victims of domestic violence, specifically those that affect access to transitional and long-term housing, orders of protection for domestic violence, and health and mental health services.
Homeless in Minnesota 2003 (pdf)
Drawn from interviews with more than 3,000 homeless adults and youth throughout Minnesota, this research describes some of the causes, effects, and circumstances surrounding homelessness. It identifies relationships between homelessness, sexual abuse and domestic violence.
Homelessness and Family Trauma: The Case for Early Intervention (pdf)
A publication of Health Care for the Homeless Clinician's Network, National Health Care for the Homeless Council. This article focuses on the impact that homelessness has on children, especially for those who have experienced sexual, physical and/or emotional abuse or are in environments where this abuse is occurring. The issue addresses the need for early intervention and provides clinicians with tips on identifying signs of trauma in homeless children as well as when and how to intervene.
This paper provides domestic violence advocates with information and strategies to promote the use of this housing program as a resource to assist battered women moving from welfare to work.
The guidelines offered here provide specific recommendations for screening and responding to domestic violence in child health settings, which provide a unique and important opportunity to screen for domestic violence and to educate parents about the impact of such violence on children. These guidelines also speak to the need for child health providers to engage in, model, and take leadership in delivering effective primary prevention of domestic violence, as well as other types of family and community violence, by highlighting violence prevention during well child and other routine visits, as a component of routine anticipatory guidance.
This is a briefing paper prepared for a Wingspread Conference of a similar title. It discusses family violence, specifically against women and children, barriers to helping the victims, and the importance of collaboration to effect change.
The purpose of this report is to capture and publish information from an exhaustive needs assessment process conducted over a period of nine months. In Their Own Words is the work of over 200 courageous women and men in the State of Maine who have dared to hope that the truth and wisdom of their experience will be heard by those in power, and that Maine’s mental health and human service systems will respond to the long ignored plight of children and adults traumatized by histories of interpersonal violence.
Information about Murder-Suicides (pdf)
A fact sheet created by the Minnesota Coalition for Battered Women as part of a statewide training for law enforcement officers, prosecutors, and advocates titled the Anatomy of Strangulation.
Integrating Anti-Poverty Work into Domestic Violence Advocacy: Iowa's Experience (pdf)
This document describes how the Iowa Coalition Against Domestic Violence (ICADV) approached integrating economic advocacy into its work in order to better respond to the financial concerns of battered women and their families. Domestic violence programs in Iowa incorporated this work into their services by training advocates, developing new collaborative partnerships, and providing economic advocacy to battered women at three pilot sites. In addition, the ICADV secured funding to support its commitment to the institutionalization of economic advocacy in 2001.
Intergenerational Transmission of Partner Violence: A 20-Year Prospective Study (pdf)
An unselected sample of 543 children was followed over 20 years to test the independent effects of parenting, exposure to domestic violence between parents (ETDV), maltreatment, adolescent disruptive behavior disorders, and emerging adult substance abuse disorders (SUDs) on the risk of violence to and from an adult partner.
Interpersonal violence and alcohol (pdf)
This report by the World Health Organization presents research on the relation between alcohol and violence. It suggests that alcohol is a situational determinant which increases the risk of most types of violence. Hazardous and harmful use of alcohol has also been shown to be an important consequence of experiencing or witnessing most forms of violence, but especially child maltreatment and intimate partner violence.
Intimate Partner Homicide (pdf)
This issue of the NIJ Journal focuses on a single important topic—homicides committed by the victim’s spouse or other intimate partner. Women are most likely to be the victim in these cases of intimate partner homicide. An overview on page 2 reflects the range of ideas the authors discuss, from aspects of the problem (such as risk factors and the effect of alcohol abuse) to possible steps toward reducing the number of incidents (such as the effectiveness of domestic violence services and the use of fatality reviews). The articles shed new light on a type of crime that continues to have serious social consequences and to present challenges to law enforcement and health providers.
Intimate Partner Violence: High Costs to Households and Communities (pdf)
A report on the cost of intimate partner violence (IPV) in Bangladesh, Morocco and Uganda. These three countries were specifically studied because they have high rates of IPV and their governments recently began to address this problem through new programs and laws. The researchers found that most women did not utilize services after experiencing IPV. The study concluded that IPV imposes huge direct costs on women and service providers in all three countries, including health, justice, police, local traditional authorities and social services, and indirect costs on women and families through lost wages and lower productivity.
It All Starts At Home: Male Adolescent Violence to Mothers (pdf)
This research examined male adolescents' abuse and violence to their sole parent mothers living in Australia. The research highlighted cultural, intra-generational and intergenerational issues relating to family violence, as well as the significant and lasting cumulative impact on the women, where the abuse was experienced from the women's ex-partners and their sons.
Knowledge for Health (K4Health) works to improve access to and sharing of global, regional, and country-specific public health knowledge, particularly about family planning and reproductive health (FP/RH).
Learning to Listen, Learning to Help: Understanding Woman Abuse and Its Effects on Children (pdf)
A concise handbook for students and volunteers entering the helping professions, to prepare them to recognize and respond to families in which there is or was violence at home. Topics include background material on the dynamics of woman abuse, the concept of power and control, facts and figures, how to support women and help them find appropriate resources, how children are affected by violence, how children cope with violence at home, how to respond to child disclosure of abuse and neglect, standards of professional conduct, taking stock of your own attitudes, and suggestions for how you can make a difference to end violence.
Little eyes, little ears: How violence against a mother shapes children as they grow (pdf)
This comprehensive 44 page document is divided by topics that cover facts and figures, types of abuse against women and children, ways a child can be impacted by domestic violence, myths about women and abuse, copin strategies, and responding and reporting, among others.
"A study conducted through in-depth interviews with 71 women aged 18-49 who had a history of intimate partner violence. Findings include male reproductive control which encompasses pregnancy-promoting behaviors as well as control and abuse during pregnancy in an attempt to influence the pregnancy outcome. Recommendations include assessing for male reproductive control among women seeking reproductive health services, including antenatal care, so that health care providers may be able to provide education, care, and counseling to help women protect their reproductive health and physical safety."
Marital Rape: New Research and Directions
Provides an overview of the research on marital rape including a brief legal history of marital rape; a discussion of the occurrence of marital rape; a summary of the effects of marital rape; and an analysis of practitioners' intervention with marital rape survivors.
Mental Health and Domestic Violence: Collaborative Initiatives, Service Models, and Curricula (pdf)
This document, geared toward professionals, contains information and guidelines for addressing the mental health impact of domestic violence and trauma. It examines collaborative treatment and service delivery models and reviews a few well respected training curricula.
Mobilizing Religious Communities to Respond to Gender-based Violence and HIV: A Training Manual (pdf)
The first in a series of two manuals aimed at raising awareness and educating religious leaders and communities about gender-based violence. The training manual equips religious communities with tools to deepen their awareness and understanding of gender-based violence and its link to HIV and proposes faith-based activities on the subject.
This report focuses on the situations of women who experienced abuse in another country and came to the United States in an effort to protect themselves and their children, but who then faced civil actions in U.S. state or federal courts for child abduction under international legal agreements.
Myths and Facts about Domestic Violence (pdf)
This document lists some common myths about the nature and causes of domestic violence.
Overcoming Domestic Violence: A Global Challenge (pdf)
"The project is part of the World Council of Churches' decade on Overcoming Violence. The report contains seven chapters, beginning with the author’s recommendations from the project. The rest of the chapters place domestic violence within an international human rights framework, discuss domestic violence’s roots, its effects on development, relevant international law milestones, practical strategies culled from project experiences around the world, and the importance of monitoring development projects to ensure women’s full participation."
Poverty, Welfare and Battered Women: What Does the Research Tell Us?
This paper provides a brief summary of several very recent studies, focusing on the extent and impact of domestic violence among poor women and women on welfare. The overview concludes with implications of this research for the new TANF welfare program.
Practical Implications of Current Domestic Violence Research Part II: Prosecution (pdf)
"The purpose of this work is to describe to practitioners what the research tells us about domestic violence, including its perpetrators and victims, and the impact of current responses to it and, more particularly, the implications of that research for day to day real world responses to domestic violence by law enforcement officers, prosecutors, and judges."
"The purpose of this work is to describe to practitioners what the research tells us about domestic violence, including its perpetrators and victims, the impact of current responses to it and, more particularly, the implications of that research for day-to-day, real-world responses to domestic violence by law enforcement officers, prosecutors and judges."
Pregnancy coercion, intimate partner violence and unintended pregnancy (pdf)
In surveying females ages 16–29 years seeking care in five family planning clinics in Northern California, pregnancy coercion and birth control sabotage were found to be common among young women utilizing family planning clinics. In the context of partner violence, these findings are associated with increased risk for unintended pregnancy.
Prevalence and Effects of Child Exposure to Domestic Violence (pdf)
A review of the problems associated with making valid and reliable estimates concerning the prevalence of child exposure to domestic violence in included in this document. Additionally, the impact of such exposure is discussed and the document ends with a discussion surrounding the need for more empirical research in order to effectively intervene with exposed children.
Prevalence, Incidence, and Consequences of Violence Against Women
A November 1998 report that summarizes the results of a national survey on men's and women's experiences with violence. This research brief is issued jointly by the National Institute of Justice and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Includes information about rape, stalking, and rate of injury. The report is available to download as either an ASCII text file or an Adobe Acrobat file.
The findings from this second in a series of reports issued jointly by the National Institute of Justice and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention paint a picture of the violence against women as seen daily by emergency room, law enforcement, and court professionals.
Preventing violence and reducing its impact: How development agencies can help (pdf)
This document makes the case for increased attention on the impact of violence on development by international development agencies. A key aim is to stimulate dialogue on the role of international development agencies in the prevention of violence globally, and ultimately to increase investment in a commonly agreed set of applied violence prevention strategies. The primary audience for this document is policy-makers, high-level planners, and others in the international development field.
Profiling Domestic Violence: A Multi-Country Study
"This study examines the prevalence and correlates of domestic violence and its health consequences using nationally representative data from nine countries: Cambodia, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Egypt, Haiti, India, Nicaragua, Peru, and Zambia."
Psychological Abuse: A Discussion Paper (pdf)
"This paper is a review of research on psychological abuse in interpersonal and family relationships including in settings such as long-term care residences.The paper presents research findings on the personal, economic and health related costs of psychological abuse to the individual and to society, and briefly outlines legal recourses for victims. It concludes by exploring ways to recognize and address psychological abuse, while emphasizing the importance of developing holistic approaches "
Restraining Order Violators, Corrective Programming and Recidivism (pdf)
Produced by the Massachusetts Trial Court - Office of the Commissioner of Probation in 2004. This document is the summarized results of a study regarding the ongoings of a domestic violence perpetrator/offender in the criminal courts. Highlights include, the relationship between victime and offender, batterer intervention programs, as well as other forms of treatment/management.
Silent Epidemic: A Survey of Violence Among Young Asian American Women
This report examines the impact of sexual violence, intimate partner violence and stalking on young Asian American women. The study also examines levels of awareness, prevalence, and access to services. It also addresses cultural and institutional barriers that Asian American victims of sexual violence, intimate partner violence and stalking may face.
Silent Victims Revisited: The Special Case of Domestic Violence
The authors discuss the current knowledge base on children exposed to domestic violence, the impact of such violence, and practice implications.
This report examines the links between eating disorders and violence against women and girls. It is based on information gathered from published literature as well as consultations with community workers, health practitioners, and mental health professionals. “Swallowing the Hurt” has been designed for use by frontline workers, health care and social service professionals, educators, and researchers who offer services directly for or who may interact with women and girls experiencing eating disorders or violence.
The Abuse of Animals and Domestic Violence: A National Survey of Shelters for Women Who Are Battered
This short article discusses the results form a national survey examining the experience of women who have been abused and the abuse perpetrated against their animals.
The Economic Dimensions of Interpersonal Violence (pdf)
This document examines the economic effects of interpersonal violence, including sexual violence, as well as the economic effects of interventions seeking to reduce violence and the ways in which economic factors such as poverty and income inequality contribute to violence.
The Effects of Childhood Stress on Health Across the Lifespan
"This document summarizes the available research on childhood stress and its long-term consequences. Of particular interest is the stress caused by child abuse, neglect, and repeated exposure to intimate partner violence."
The Effects of Family and Community Violence on Children
This document is a review of the current literature on the impact that various types of violence exposure has on children.
The Effects of Violence on Women's Employment
This is an abstract of a paper by Susan Lloyd of the Joint Center for Poverty Research of the Macarthur Foundation. The paper addresses whether women who are experiencing or have experienced domestic violence have lower employment rates than women who have not.
The Facts about Domestic Violence
This fact sheet provides current information and statistics on domestic violence. Information includes a working definition, exploration of how different communities are affected by domestic violence and legal protections for victims of domestic violence.
The Facts on Children and Domestic Violence (pdf)
Outlined in this document is a list of statistics related to domestic violence and its impact on children and pregnancy.
The Facts On Teen Dating Violence (pdf)
A fact sheet created by FVPF on the prevalence and consequences of teen dating violence.
The Health Costs of Violence: Measuring the burden of disease caused by intimate partner violence (pdf)
This publication is a summary of a study conducted to assess the health impact of intimate partner violence on women. While focusing on health, it complements a vast body of evidence demonstrating the serious social and economic consequences of intimate partner violence for individuals, families and communities.
The Impact of Conflict on Women and Girls in West and Central Africa and the UNICEF response (pdf)
"This first-of-its-kind study by UNICEF on the situation of war-affected girls and women in the region highlights innovative programmes being implemented with partners to address the impact of conflict, and recommends how UNICEF can more proactively champion the rights of girls - particularly adolescent girls."
The Impact of Minnesota's Felony Strangulation Law: A WATCH Report (pdf)
This report documents Hennepin County's responses to the passage of strangulation as a felony offense. Documentations from judges, advocates, and victims are given so as to give account to the benefits persons attain as a result of this passage. County breakdowns as well as the costs to implementation are also presented.
The New Welfare Law: Implications for Battered Women
This paper is the first in a series of three papers that aim to provide relevant and practical information about the new "Welfare Law" and its effects on battered women and their children to domestic violence advocates and others working in the field.
The Origin and True Purpose of the Paddle (pdf)
In this article, the authors explain the origins of paddling in a historical context of slavery, as well as the psychological effects of using corporal punishment on children.
The Validity and Use of Evidence Concerning Battering and Its Effects in Criminal Trials (pdf)
"This report is actually three reports in one: Validity of 'Battered Woman Syndrome' in Criminal Cases; Trends in Expert Testimony on Battering; & Impact of Evidence Concerning Battering and its Effects in Criminal Trials Involving Battered Women."
Thinking About Homicide Risk: A Practice Framework for Counseling
This paper proposes a multi-systemic practice framework to help counselors assess for and respond to homicide risk in family violence contexts. The framework outlines the four main system domains that counselors may need to address: the client system; the therapeutic relationship; the organizational context; and the system of services.
This report is a summary and analysis of recent research studies which identify the extent of domestic violence among women receiving welfare that helps gauge the effects of violence on women's lives, their use of welfare, and on their ability to become economically self-sufficient.
This booklet, designed by the West Virginia Bureau for Public Health, helps young adults understand the dynamics of healthy relationships; the signs of controlling relationships; the strategies for dealing with dating violence; and the resources available to end the cycle of violence.
Understanding Financial Literacy with Survivors of Intimate Partner Violence (pdf)
In May of 2011 The Center for Financial Security, the U.S. Department of the Treasury, and the Social Security Administration hosted the workshop "Exploring the Intersection Between Financial Literacy and Domestic Violence".
This article is an issue brief for one of the six presentations from the workshop. This particular articles discusses the importance of financial literacy for survivors of intimate partner violence (IPV) as an avenue for reaching economic empowerment.
The other presentation briefs are linked in MINCAVA as well, but to quickly access all six, you may also go to http://cfs.wisc.edu/events/DV_Workshop.aspx.
This is currently the final publication in the series created through a collaboration of the Vermont Network Against Domestic and Sexual Violence, the Vermont Department for Children and Families and the Vermont Center for Crime Victim Services. Part VII reports on findings from a study investigating the number of children/youth in Vermont exposed to domestic violence, the effects of this exposure on their social/emotional development and mental health, services provided by domestic violence network and mental health programs, perceived barriers to providing these services, the training needs of service providers in Vermont and both strengths and gaps in the continuum of services for these children/youth.
This Violence Against Women Online Resources commissioned document describes the intersection between woman abuse and parenting. The authors identify and discuss seven central themes that highlight the challenges of parenting in the context of woman abuse. Specific implications and recommendations for community and court service providers are also offered.
Violence Against Women: Classic Papers
The purpose of this project was to assemble some of the classic works in the field of violence against women so that new generations of students, practitioners, and researchers would have a collective understanding of the work that has shaped the field. Included are commentaries from the original authors, when available, reflecting on why they authored the work when they did and the influence of their work on the field.
Violence Against Women: The Role of Welfare Reform (pdf)
This research documents the prevalence, incidence, and negative impacts of domestic violence in a California welfare reform population.
What About Me? Seeking to Understand the Child's View of Violence in the Family (pdf)
This study was funded by the National Crime Prevention Strategy in Ottawa. It involves an exhaustive review of the literature on child exposure to domestic violence (almost 400 sources) integrated with extensive clinical experience to create a revolutionary new framework for understanding, studying and intervening with children who have lived with woman abuse. Case studies illustrate key points and child drawings bring to life the experience of violence through young eyes.
This report documents the prevalence of intimate partner violence and its association with women's physical, mental, sexual and reproductive health. Data is included on non-partner violence, sexual abuse during childhood and forced first sexual experience. Information is also provided on women’s responses: Whom do women turn to and whom do they tell about the violence in their lives? Do they leave or fight back? Which services do they use and what response do they get?
Widening Our Lens (pdf)
"This brochure presents a comprehensive strategy to address the impact of child maltreatment, interpersonal, and family violence on youth."
Witnessing Domestic Violence: The Effect on Children
The author discusses the conequences of child exposure to domestic violence across various ages, as well as prevention and screening techniques. Community advocacy is emphasized.
Women and Health: Today’s Evidence, Tomorrow’s Agenda (pdf)
"This report reviews evidence on the health issues that particularly affect girls and women throughout their life course. This report uses currently available data to draw attention to the consequences and costs of failing to address health issues at appropriate points in their lives."
Women's Experiences of Abuse as a Risk Factor for Incarceration
This VAWnet document describes how violence perpetrated against women and girls increases their risk of arrest and incarceration through the intersections of interpersonal and structural violence.
This paper is part of series of papers that addresses the way to mobilize community and programatic resources to provide responsive help to children and families affected both by domestic violence and poverty. This particular paper addresses the way to offer support and safety for children while maintaining safety, autonomy and choide for battered women.
Working with Young Men Who Batter: Current Strategies and New Directions
This article offers an overview of the recent juvenile batterer intervention programs. It identifies risk factors for teen dating violence perpetration as described by the literature and considers the utility of these findings, describes efforts to prevent re-offenses by juvenile perpetrators of domestic violence, discusses several shortcomings inherent in post-crisis intervention, and outlines current challenges within the field.
World Report on Violence against Children
"This book addresses all violence against children within the family, schools, alternative care institutions and detention facilities, places where children work and communities. It lists the relevant international and national legal instruments and standards. It also describes the nature and impact of all forms of violence, indicating possible risk and causal factors. Finally, and most important, based on existing evidence and concrete examples, it provides detailed recommendation on measures to be taken to enhance the protection of children from violence."
This paper is part of series of paper that addresses the way to mobilize community and programatic resources to provide responsive help to children and families affected both by domestic violence and poverty. This particular paper addresses impacts of adult domestic violence to young children through developmental risk and resiliency.
This handbook contains information that will help you learn about: domestic violence and its impact on adolescents; evaluating risk and safety planning for victims of domestic violence; coordinated justice responses to domestic violence and the role of juvenile custody programs and probation; risk assessment and reduction with adolescent perpetrators of intimate partner and family violence; promising practices for adolescent perpetrators of intimate partner and family violence; and resources on domestic violence for adolescent victims and perpetrators.
Dating violence
(Un)heard Voices: Domestic Violence in the Asian American Community (pdf)
This publication is based on the results of a focus group with Asian immigrant women and Asian American women from different backgrounds. Various questions and issues are addressed such as identifying victims and perpetrators, prevalence of domestic violence in Asian communities, barriers confronting Asian women and more. The report also gives recommendations to service providers and a national list of organizations committed to serving battered Asian women.
Additional Scripts for Clinic Assessment (pdf)
This document is created for healthcare professionals and provides a series of scripted questions and responses when working with victims of violence. The information is intended to help communicate all the information needed to give to a patient as well as responding to immediate safety issues and making referrals.
Breaking the Silence: A Training Manual for Activists, Advocates, and Latina Organizers (pdf)
"A guide for domestic violence service providers, activists, counselors and others focused on advancing the rights of battered immigrant women. Based on the FVPF's successful pilot project, the manual provides essential details on how to start organizing and maintaining a group of activists and counselors. This guide is also available in Spanish."
Breaking the Silence: A Training Manual for Activists, Advocates, and Latina Organizers (Spanish) (pdf)
"The first ever guide for domestic violence service providers, activists, counselors and others focused on advancing the rights of battered immigrant women. Based on the FVPF's successful pilot project, the manual provides essential details on how to start organizing and maintaining a group of activists and counselors. This guide is also available in English."
California Batterer Intervention Systems Study
This study on batterer intervention programs in the state of California encompasses 5 counties, 53 batterer intervention programs that provide client data, and over 1,000 men enrolled in those programs. The study found that the individual characteristics of the offenders, and not the program they were enrolled in nor the features of the specific court they were sentenced in, were the strongest predictors of outcomes.
Chinese Lifetime Spiral of Gender Violence (pdf)
"Chinese translation of the Lifetime Spiral of Gender Violence. The spiral implicitly locates a range of abuses in the lives of girls and women, revealing patterns of victimization and perpetration. The Lifetime Spiral is designed to be used by everyone to identify histories of violence in their own lives or in the lives of family and friends."
"This is a client-centered tool for civil attorneys new to representing victims of domestic and dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking to provide comprehensive representation and advocacy for their clients."
Compiled by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, this page offers answers to frequently asked questions on common date rape drugs, how to identify them and the effects of each. Also offers useful tips on how to protect yourself from being a victim, and what to do if you've been drugged.
DID YOU KNOW YOUR RELATIONSHIP AFFECTS YOUR HEALTH? (pdf)
A tri-fold patient safety card which contains a checklist to assess safety, healthy/unhealthy relationships, and children's exposure to violence. The card also provides resources and information on how to get help.
Domestic Violence and Health Care
"This special collection on health care and domestic violence draws heavily from the work of the Family Violence Prevention Fund's Health Resource Center. The resources included in this special collection are organized into the following five areas: 1) the impact of domestic violence on health; 2) public health approaches to domestic violence prevention; 3) guidelines and issues concerning identification and intervention by health care providers; 4) information about collaboration between health care providers and domestic violence advocates; and 5) training. This special collection also includes a bibliography of related journal articles."
Domestic Violence Counts 2008: A 24-hour census of domestic violence shelters and services
This report is the most recent data documenting the number of individuals who seek services in a 24 hour period, the types of services requested, the number of service requests that went unmet because of lack of resources, and the issues and barriers that domestic violence programs are facing as they strive tirelessly to provide services to victims of domestic violence. Also contains a state by state report on services requested and provided.
Domestic Violence Counts 2009: A 24-Hour Census of Domestic Violence Shelters and Services
"A one-day report, documenting the number of adults and children seeking domestic violence services in the U.S., the types of services requested, the number of service requests that went unmet because of lack of resources, and the issues and barriers that domestic violence programs are facing as they strive to provide services to victims of domestic violence. Also provides a state by state summary of services requested and provided. "
This 2008 report contains data documenting the number of individuals who seek services in a 24 hour period, the types of services requested, the number of service requests that went unmet because of lack of resources, and the issues and barriers that domestic violence programs are facing as they strive tirelessly to provide services to victims of domestic violence. Also contains a state by state report on services requested and provided.
Family Violence Prevention and Health Practice Winter 2010 Issue
This issue includes topics such as dating violence, recent domestic and sexual violence related research, and the intersection between domestic violence, poverty, substance abuse, and mental health.
This summary reports on the key findings of research carried out by the National Union of Students between August 2009 and March 2010. Research concerned women students’ experiences of harassment, financial control, control over their course and institution choices, stalking, violence, and sexual assault.
How to obtain U Interim Relief: A Brief Manual for Advocates Assisting Immigrant Victims of Crime (pdf)
This manual provides U Visa information for advocates who assist victims of crime, including domestic violence. The author outlines the definition, requirements, and application process for U Visa Interim relief and also offers information on obtaining permanent residency and derivative status for family members.
Interpersonal and Physical Dating Violence among Teens (pdf)
This Focus Report from the National Council on Crime and Delinquency finds that girls exposed to interpersonal violence are more likely to be exposed to other forms of violence, show a greater propensity for unsafe sexual activity, and a higher incidence of substance abuse and suicide than either boys or non-abused girls. The report also offers recommendations for primary prevention programs.
Korean Lifetime Spiral of Gender Violence (pdf)
"Korean translation of the Lifetime Spiral of Gender Violence. The spiral implicitly locates a range of abuses in the lives of girls and women, revealing patterns of victimization and perpetration. The Lifetime Spiral is designed to be used by everyone to identify histories of violence in their own lives or in the lives of family and friends."
Meeting Survivors' Needs: A Multi-State Study of Domestic Violence Shelter Experiences
This study provides important insights into the role that shelters play in survivors' efforts to escape violence and abuse. Results capture the voices and experiences of over 3,400 shelter residents in 215 programs across eight states. The website includes links to the press statement announcing the study's release, the Research in Brief, the Executive Summary, and the full report.
Physical Dating Violence Among High School Students - United States, 2003
A surveillance report in brief of physical dating violence among high school students and selected characteristics.
Physical Dating Violence Among High School Students --- United States, 2003
This article in brief addresses the incidence of physical dating violence among high school adolescents and introduces risk as well as protective factors.
Preventing and Responding to Teen Dating Violence
This special collection emphasizes collaborative and multilevel approaches to the prevention of, and response to, teen dating violence. It draws on the work of many organizations and organizes the resources on TDV prevention and responses by different populations.
Report Cards on Teen Dating Violence 2008 (pdf)
Break the Cycle issued the first-ever state-by-state report cards evaluating the level of legal protection each state offers young victims of domestic and dating violence. The report was issued in conjunction with National Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Week, February 4-8, 2008.
Tagalog Lifetime Spiral of Gender Violence (pdf)
"Tagalog translation of the Lifetime Spiral of Gender Violence. The spiral implicitly locates a range of abuses in the lives of girls and women, revealing patterns of victimization and perpetration. The Lifetime Spiral is designed to be used by everyone to identify histories of violence in their own lives or in the lives of family and friends."
Technological Safety for Domestic Violence Survivors
"Technological tools such as phones, computers, and searchable databases are being used to monitor, harass, and threaten current or former intimate partners. This forum will explore the safety risks and benefits of technology and cover areas of confidentiality, co-location, and data sharing. The host for this forum is Anzala Alozie. Anzala is the Director of Services at the New York State Coalition Against Domestic Violence and provides management of the statewide Domestic & Sexual Violence Hotline, Women of Color Leadership, Economic Justice, Technology Safety, and Training projects."
Teen Dating Violence: A Literature Review and Annotated Bibliography (pdf)
This аnnotated bibliography and summary of research identify significant research carried out in the decade since 1999 on the issue of dating violence among high school and middle school youth. The survey provided by the bibliography and summary covers quantitative and qualitative literature on the definition and prevalence of, as well as risk factors for, adolescent dating violence, also called teen relationship abuse.
The Sexual Victimization of College Women
This study contributes data to our understanding about the prevalence and nature of violence against women in the United States.
This booklet, designed by the West Virginia Bureau for Public Health, helps young adults understand the dynamics of healthy relationships; the signs of controlling relationships; the strategies for dealing with dating violence; and the resources available to end the cycle of violence.
Younger Women at Great Risk of Intimate Partner Violence
Summary of the new report, Intimate Partner Violence and Age of Victim, released by the U.S. Department of Justice's Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS).
Disability
A Health Handbook for Women with Disabilities (pdf)
This guide helps women with disabilities from around the world to overcome the barriers of social stigma and inadequate care to improve their general health, self-esteem, and independence as active members of their communities.
Chapter 14 specifically covers abuse, violence and self-defense. The chapter discusses different kinds of abuse, preventing abuse, support for women leaving violent partners, sexual violence, abuse in institutions, and what to do to be safer.
Breaking the Links Between Poverty and Violence against Women: A Resource Guide (pdf)
"This resource guide explores the ways in which poverty and violence are linked. It acknowledges the efforts of women’s groups, community organizations and service agencies that support low-income women to take control of and deal with the poverty and violence in their lives. Another area of focus is to inspire community-based groups to take action on poverty and violence issues by providing practical examples of what others are doing."
Crimes Against People with Disabilities, 2007 (pdf)
"Using 2007 National Crime Victimization Survey data, the study found that persons with disabilities were victims of about 47,000 rapes. Rates of rape and sexual assault were more than twice those for people without disabilities. In addition, youth with a disability ages 12 to 19 experienced violence at nearly twice the rate as those without a disability."
Emerging issues in domestic/family violence research
"This paper presents an overview of the key emerging issues in Australian domestic and family violence research in the context of gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and intersex communities; the elderly; those with disabilities; people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds; Indigenous communities; homelessness; the impact on children; and issues around perpetrator programs."
The goal of this manual is to expand the definition of what is "enough" when it comes to domestic violence advocacy, so that all domestic violence services are as accessible as possible to all persons regardless to disability.
Forging New Collaborations: A Guide for Rape Crisis, Domestic Violence, and Disability Organizations (pdf)
This document was created as a roadmap for bringing together agencies at the intersection of violence and disability so that they can create a new and effective approach to safety, healing, and accessibility to services for their clients.
Impact: Feature Issue on Violence Against Women with Developmental or Other Disabilities
Examines how disability service providers, sexual and domestic violence programs, law enforcement, researchers, and women with disabilities can work together to respond to a major civil rights, quality of life, and health issue for women with disabilities - the presence of violence in their lives.
Impact: Feature Issue on Violence and Women with Developmental or Other Disabilities (pdf)
This publication presents a collection of articles that explore violence as it impacts women with developmental and other disabilities. This collection offers strategies and ideas for bringing together disability service providers, sexual and domestic violence programs, law enforcement and the justice system, policymakers, researchers, and women with disabilities to prevent future victimization.
Increasing Agency Accessibility for People with Disabilities: DV Agency Self-Assessment Guide (pdf)
The Coalition developed this tool specifically for domestic violence organizations to increase their program’s ability to work with people with disabilities. This self-assessment guide is intended to assist domestic violence programs in evaluating their accessibility to victims with disabilities in their community.
Individual-Systemic Violence: Disabled Women's Standpoint (pdf)
"This article explores reasons for the systemic omission of women with disabilities from mainstream research and from services addressing non-disabled women's experiences."
Interpersonal Violence and Women With Disabilities: A Research Update
"This article provides an update on what researchers have learned during the past ten years about abuse and women with disabilities and offers some perspectives on the state of current research and its implications for future studies and advocacy efforts."
Model Protocol on Safety Planning for Domestic Violence Victims with Disabilities
The goal of this protocol and recommended policies is to support domestic violence agencies: to increase their safety planning services to people with disabilities and advance self-determination for people with disabilities by offering safety planning that is cognizant of environmental and social barriers. This protocol builds on the existing safety planning knowledge of domestic violence programs. Basic safety planning strategies will not be reviewed in this document.
Model Protocol on Screening Practices for Domestic Violence Victims with Disabilities (pdf)
The goal of this protocol is to support domestic violence agencies in the State of Washington in examining and revising their intake and screening process to include questions about disability issues. Inquiring if a victim has a disability that requires accommodation gives the program information that enables them to provide appropriate accessible services.
Model Protocol on Service Animals in Domestic Violence Shelters (pdf)
"This document provides basic information about the use of service animals, the laws that apply to domestic violence shelters and service animals, and suggested policies and procedures for domestic violence shelters regarding service animals."
On the Road to Equality: Statewide Findings & Policy Recommendations (pdf)
"A supplement to the Status of Girls in Minnesota report by the Women’s Foundation of Minnesota in partnership with the Institute for Women’s Policy Research. Focus groups were conducted in 18 Minnesota communities that included African American, Latino, Native American, Asian American, LBT (Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender), and disabilities communities — to share key research findings and gain community input. This report captures the voices and policy recommendations of these communities, nonprofit and public leaders."
Psychological Abuse: A Discussion Paper (pdf)
"This paper is a review of research on psychological abuse in interpersonal and family relationships including in settings such as long-term care residences.The paper presents research findings on the personal, economic and health related costs of psychological abuse to the individual and to society, and briefly outlines legal recourses for victims. It concludes by exploring ways to recognize and address psychological abuse, while emphasizing the importance of developing holistic approaches "
Recognizing and Interrupting Abuse of Adults with Disabilities
Part of the World Institute on Disability, this website provides information on abuse towards those with a disability. Headings include "What is Abuse", "Types of Abuse", "What contributes to Abuse", and more.
Resource Guide for Advocates & Attorneys on Interpretation Services for Domestic Violence Victims (pdf)
This document provides guidelines from the Interpretation Technical Assistance and Resource Center that focus on court interpretation for domestic and sexual violence victims with limited English proficiency. These guidelines inform how advocacy, interpretation, and language access can be integrated.
Serving Women with Developmental Disabilities: Strategies for the Justice System
Women with developmental disabilities experiencie a far higher rate of sexual assault and rape than other women, and experience this victimization repeatedly. This article explores some of the issues facing police, prosecutors, judges, advocates, and other members of the criminal justice system, and provide some suggestions for how they can better serve women with developmental disabilities.
Special Collection: Domestic and family violence and disability
While comprehensive information about domestic and family violence against people with disabilities is limited, available research suggests that women with disabilities experience significantly higher levels of violence than other women, while facing greater challenges to accessing support and assistance. This Clearinghouse database contains a wide array of research and resources on issues related to people with disabilities, including information about prevalence and service practice, as well as resources for clients and workers.
Stories from Women with Disabilities
Real stories from women with disabilities. Each of them has survived abuse. Some talk about how they were abused by a parent or family member, others tell about abuse by a partner or husband, or by someone else. Some women already had a disability when they were abused, while for others, the abuse caused a disability.
Violence Against Women with Disabilities
This article provides an overview of knowledge relating to violence against women with disabilities. It considers the many forms which such violence can take, identifies the risk factors associated with it, and summarizes the estimates of its occurrence. While recognizing the barriers that women may face in seeking help, the paper also offers suggestions for action and identifies organizations that can help. Finally, it suggests additional information resources that can be consulted.
Violence Against Women With Disabilities: An Overview of the Literature
This report explores the literature in relation to women with disabilities and violence from 1990-1999.
1998 article. Discusses the general issues (portrait of a woman with disability, what is violence, causes, why women?), specifications on maltreatment against disabled women, types of violence, general polices to combat violence against women, different world approaches, and more.
Violence in the Lives of Persons who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing
"This Special Collection offers information regarding the experiences and needs of individuals who are Deaf or hard of hearing and victims/survivors of domestic and/or sexual violence. The collection seeks to increase knowledge and understanding of deaf culture, provide resources to assist professionals working directly with deaf individuals, and highlight best practices."
Working with Victims of Crime with Disabilities
This is a product of the Symposium on Working with Crime Victims with Disabilities, funded by the Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) and coordinated by the National Organization for Victim Assistance (NOVA). They developed recommendations for OVC and the victim assistance field on improving the response in serving crime victims with disabilities.
Economic impact
"This report provides an analysis of patterns of human rights abuses against women who are exposed to the risk of or are already living with HIV in rural contexts of widespread poverty and unemployment."
15 Years of the United Nations Rapporteur on Violence against Women, Its Causes and Consequences (pdf)
This report reviews the status of violence against women as researched in 14 annual reports, 32 country mission reports, and 11 communication reports published as recently as December 2008. The report focuses on reproductive health and rights, poverty, migration, internally displaced persons (IDPs), women refugees, trafficking, aging, and adolescent girls. It also highlights how the mandate on violence against women has changed, what has been learned, and problems still to be addressed.
2009 KIDS COUNT Data Book: State Profiles of Child Well-being (pdf)
This 20th annual KIDS COUNT Data Book provides national and state-by-state information and statistical trends on the conditions of America’s children and families. The book reports on indicators of educational achievement, economic well-being, and health, among others. The book also ranks states on a composite indicator of child wellness, aggregating measures such as infant mortality rate, graduation rates, and children in poverty.
Achieving Equity for Women: Policy Alternatives for the New Administration Symposium Report (pdf)
"This report summarizes the policy research symposium convened by the Institute for Women’s Policy Research and the Wellesley Centers for Women, held in Washington, DC on April 2, 2009. The symposium highlighted four policy areas in which public policy can work to improve the status of women in the United States: women and economic recovery; retirement, social security and aging; quality early care and education; and women and health care reform."
Asset Building and Individual Development Accounts (IDAs)
This special collection includes a categorized and selected listing of articles, fact sheets, papers, reports and surveys. It is offered as an additional tool to assist advocates working on and interested in Individual Development Accounts (IDAs) and how they relate to ending violence against women. Direct links to the documents are provided.
Asset Building Programs for Domestic Violence Survivors (pdf)
This paper discusses asset building programs, including some of the benefits of asset ownership and why asset building programs for domestic violence survivors may be important. The dearth of literature on assets and domestic violence is reviewed, calling for further research.
Breaking the Links Between Poverty and Violence against Women: A Resource Guide (pdf)
"This resource guide explores the ways in which poverty and violence are linked. It acknowledges the efforts of women’s groups, community organizations and service agencies that support low-income women to take control of and deal with the poverty and violence in their lives. Another area of focus is to inspire community-based groups to take action on poverty and violence issues by providing practical examples of what others are doing."
Bridging the Gap: Financing Gender Equality (pdf)
"This booklet is intended for those who wish to better understand the links between gender equality, public policy formation and development financing. It highlights the importance of expanding policy choices in setting the framework for national development plans, and emphasizes the central role of strategies to advance gender equality and the empowerment of women in achieving development effectiveness."
Broken Trust: Elders, Family & Finances (pdf)
"This is a report of a collaborative study of elder financial abuse. The study examines the prevalence as well as characteristics of victims and perpetrators of financial elder abuse and offers suggestions for identifying and addressing this problem. "
In May of 2011 The Center for Financial Security, the U.S. Department of the Treasury, and the Social Security Administration hosted the workshop "Exploring the Intersection Between Financial Literacy and Domestic Violence".
This article is an issue brief for one of the six presentations from the workshop. This particular article speaks to the critical need for practitioners to bring the interrelated areas of economic and emotional abuse, economic literacy, and wealth or asset building to the forefront of their direct, policy, and research practice agendas.
The other presentation briefs are linked in MINCAVA as well, but to quickly access all six, you may also go to http://cfs.wisc.edu/events/DV_Workshop.aspx.
Cost of Intimate Partner Violence Against Women in the United States (pdf)
This report describes briefly the development of the requested study; presents findings for the estimated incidence, prevalence, and costs of nonfatal and fatal IPV; identifies future research needs; and highlights CDC’s research priorities for IPV prevention.
This report summarizes studies that have estimated economic costs of intimate partner violence against women, and lays out a framework to measure the costs of intimate partner violence in developing countries, factoring in prevention, response, and opportunity costs.
"This report articulates a corporate strategy for working with governments and partners in promoting gender equality."
Desk Reference for Recognizing and Responding to Domestic Violence
Outlines a helpful intervention approach with victims in the workplace. This tool is designed for Human Resources and Employee Assistance Professionals.
Domestic Violence Against Women and Girls (pdf)
"UNICEF's report discusses the scope and magnitude of the problem, causes and consequences of domestic violence, the socio-economic costs of violence, strategies and interventions, and state obligations with regard to domestic violence."
Domestic Violence Against Women and Girls
"Highlights issues of abuse; femicide; forced prostitution; sexual abuse of children; sex-selective abortion, female infanticide and differential access to food and medical care; and, traditional and cultural practices that affect women's health and lives."
Domestic Violence and Financial Well-Being: How Research Can Advance Practice and Policy (pdf)
In May of 2011 The Center for Financial Security, the U.S. Department of the Treasury, and the Social Security Administration hosted the workshop "Exploring the Intersection Between Financial Literacy and Domestic Violence".
This article is an issue brief for one of the six presentations from the workshop. This particular article summarizes current thinking about how to assess the impact of domestic violence (DV) on women’s financial well-being.
The other presentation briefs are linked in MINCAVA as well, but to quickly access all six, you may also go to http://cfs.wisc.edu/events/DV_Workshop.aspx.
Domestic Violence and Homelessness (pdf)
"This fact sheet covers homelessness and DV, DV and poverty, and how women can be trapped by homelessness and violence. This piece encourages policy that reduces the risk of homeless for survivors through housing discrimination protection."
Domestic Violence and Homelessness Factsheet (pdf)
This is a clear and concise statement of the overlap between these two problems.
Domestic Violence and Housing (pdf)
"This fact sheet shows the risks of homelessness for DV survivors, the difficulty in obtaining permanent housing, and housing discrimination."
Domestic Violence and Welfare Reform
From the September 1997, issue of Issue Notes by the Welfare Information Network. Reports how various states approach welfare reform for victims of domestic violence.
Dossier on Domestic Violence in Latin America and the Caribbean
"This publication includes a detailed balance of the work developed in Latin American and the Caribbean to eliminate violence against women. The objective of the publication is to have a tool that will help to design future activities in a more accurate way that take into account the economic, cultural and geographical women's reality of the Region in order to eliminate domestic violence. It also contains guidelines and recommendations for the future work on women’s rights for a life free of violence."
Economic Stress and Domestic Violence
This Applied Research paper provides data on domestic violence rates across social classes, highlights the relationship between economic stress and domestic violence, and explores employment, social support networks, and weaknesses in social services. The paper concludes by discussing strategies that may simultaneously address the intersecting problems of financial distress and DV, including universal screening for DV, responses by employers, and collaboration among social service providers.
Economic Violence To Women and Girls: Is It Receiving the Necessary Attention? (pdf)
"This paper seeks to draw attention to the types of economic violence experienced by women, and describes its consequences on health and development. Recommendations for practice, policy, and research are also given."
Employment and Domestic Violence
"This special collection includes a categorized and selected listing of articles, bibliographies, fact sheets, laws and court action, papers, regulations, reports and surveys relating to domestic violence and employment. It is offered as an additional tool to assist advocates working on and interested in employment issues related to ending violence against women. "
Facilitating Savings and Asset Ownership Among Domestic Violence Survivors (pdf)
In May of 2011 The Center for Financial Security, the U.S. Department of the Treasury, and the Social Security Administration hosted the workshop "Exploring the Intersection Between Financial Literacy and Domestic Violence"
This article is an issue brief for one of the six presentations from the workshop. This particular articles addresses the need to assist women who have been in violent relationships to develop economic independence through asset building and savings.
The other presentation briefs are linked in MINCAVA as well, but to quickly access all six, you may also go to http://cfs.wisc.edu/events/DV_Workshop.aspx.
Family Violence Protocol Development
Practice paper from a series of papers for an initiative to provide technical assistance to state administrators and domestic violence advocates implementing the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (PRWORA) in TANF and child support enforcement (CSE) contexts. This initiative is a partnership between the National Resource Center on Domestic Violence (NRC) and the Administration for Children and Families, DHHS. This practice paper provides detailed guidance on developing family violence protocols for: the disclosure of domestic violence information; TANF/CSE program response to such disclosures; and the safe enforcement of child support when family violence may be a risk.
Federal Housing and Domestic Violence: Introduction to Programs, Policy, and Advocacy Opportunities
This paper provides a basic overview of the laws and policies governing the principal federal housing programs and discusses key policy issues these programs raise for battered women.
Financial Capability and Domestic Violence Prevention (pdf)
In May of 2011 The Center for Financial Security, the U.S. Department of the Treasury, and the Social Security Administration hosted the workshop "Exploring the Intersection Between Financial Literacy and Domestic Violence".
This article is an issue brief for one of the six presentations from the workshop. This particular article speaks to the importance of expanding financial education programs for survivors of domestic violence.
The other presentation briefs are linked in MINCAVA as well, but to quickly access all six, you may also go to http://cfs.wisc.edu/events/DV_Workshop.aspx.
"Themes from this meeting hosted by the Government of Norway in Oslo include: macroeconomic policies, public finance and gender-responsive budgeting, bilateral and multilateral aid, and funding the women’s movement."
Gender Responsive Budgeting in Practice: A Training Manual
"This training manual was produced under a UNFPA/UNIFEM strategic partnership aimed at developing a coordinated approach for effective technical assistance to gender-responsive budgeting (GRB)."
Girls Count: A Global Investment & Action Agenda
"This report describes why and how to initiate effective investments that will give adolescent girls in developing countries a full and equal chance for rewarding lives and livelihoods."
Girls Count: A Global Investment & Action Agenda
"This report describes why and how to initiate effective investments that will give adolescent girls in developing countries a full and equal chance for rewarding lives and livelihoods."
Health Care Costs Associated with Violence in Pennsylvania (pdf)
"Reports the impact of violence in Pennsylvania including interpersonal violence (homicide, aggravated assault, rape) domestic violence (partner, child and elder abuse) and self-directed violence (suicide and attempted suicide)."
Homeless in Minnesota 2003 (pdf)
Drawn from interviews with more than 3,000 homeless adults and youth throughout Minnesota, this research describes some of the causes, effects, and circumstances surrounding homelessness. It identifies relationships between homelessness, sexual abuse and domestic violence.
Homelessness and Family Trauma: The Case for Early Intervention (pdf)
A publication of Health Care for the Homeless Clinician's Network, National Health Care for the Homeless Council. This article focuses on the impact that homelessness has on children, especially for those who have experienced sexual, physical and/or emotional abuse or are in environments where this abuse is occurring. The issue addresses the need for early intervention and provides clinicians with tips on identifying signs of trauma in homeless children as well as when and how to intervene.
"This paper offers a research on DV and homelessness and trends in federal housing policy. A model for conducting a community assessment of local housing needs includes critical thinking questions on an organization’s capacity for housing advocacy."
Housing and Battered Women: A Case Study of Domestic Violence Programs in Iowa
The purpose of this paper is to increase the domestic violence advocacy communitys knowledge about housing issues, federal housing programs, and strategies to comprehensively address battered women's needs for housing.
Housing and Battered Women: Increasing Battered Women's Access to Federal Housing Programs
This paper encourages advocates to collaborate in an effort to support proposed federal housing regulations that begin to address some of the housing needs of battered women and to submit comments to the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to support those sections of the proposed regulations that could give battered women faster access to housing.
This paper provides domestic violence advocates with information and strategies to promote the use of this housing program as a resource to assist battered women moving from welfare to work.
Impact of Intimate Partner Violence on Economic Well-Being (pdf)
In May of 2011 The Center for Financial Security, the U.S. Department of the Treasury, and the Social Security Administration hosted the workshop "Exploring the Intersection Between Financial Literacy and Domestic Violence".
This powerpoint is from one of the six presentations from the workshop. This particular presentation discusses the many facets of
economic abuse as a result of intimate partner violence (IPV).
The other presentation briefs are linked in MINCAVA as well, but to quickly access all six, you may also go to http://cfs.wisc.edu/events/DV_Workshop.aspx.
Innovative Strategies to Provide Housing for Battered Women
This paper highlights how eight domestic violence organizations are responding to the housing needs of battered women in their communities.
Integrating Anti-Poverty Work into Domestic Violence Advocacy: Iowa's Experience (pdf)
This document describes how the Iowa Coalition Against Domestic Violence (ICADV) approached integrating economic advocacy into its work in order to better respond to the financial concerns of battered women and their families. Domestic violence programs in Iowa incorporated this work into their services by training advocates, developing new collaborative partnerships, and providing economic advocacy to battered women at three pilot sites. In addition, the ICADV secured funding to support its commitment to the institutionalization of economic advocacy in 2001.
Intimate Partner Violence in Disadvantaged Neighborhoods (pdf)
This article discusses who is most at risk and details the role that economic policies and employment practices might play in reducing the risk of intimate violence.
Intimate Partner Violence: High Costs to Households and Communities (pdf)
A report on the cost of intimate partner violence (IPV) in Bangladesh, Morocco and Uganda. These three countries were specifically studied because they have high rates of IPV and their governments recently began to address this problem through new programs and laws. The researchers found that most women did not utilize services after experiencing IPV. The study concluded that IPV imposes huge direct costs on women and service providers in all three countries, including health, justice, police, local traditional authorities and social services, and indirect costs on women and families through lost wages and lower productivity.
Kenyan Laws and Harmful Customs Curtail Women’s Equal Enjoyment of ICESCR Rights (pdf)
"The Federation of Women Lawyers Kenya (FIDA Kenya) and the International Women’s Human Rights Clinic (IWHRC) at Georgetown University released this report as a supplement to Kenya’s latest periodic report under the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR). The report finds that Kenyan laws and practices prevent women from attaining economic, social and cultural Rights."
"This manual was published by Transforming Communities, a California-based organization creating sustainable community-based approaches to preventing violence against women and girls. The authors provides a step-by-step approach to understanding how cost-benefit thinking can be applied to domestic violence prevention in order to persuade funders and policy makers of the need for programs. Contents include descriptions of specific prevention programs and their impact using a cost-benefit perspective, as well as guidance in building tools to strengthen and justify your prevention program to obtain funding and support."
"This report provides extensive research of the mail-order bride industry in the United Kingdom. The industry is linked to the promotion of trafficking, prostitution, pornography and slavery. The report suggests that this industry not only exploits vulnerable groups of women but also reinforces racial and ethnic stereotypes. Recommendations are given on what the government can do to further protect women."
Manual for estimating the economic costs of injuries due to interpersonal and self-directed violence (pdf)
"The manual provides a standardized set of recommendations to estimate the direct and indirect economic costs of interpersonal and self-directed violence."
Not Enough: What TANF Offers Family Violence Victims (pdf)
Based on a national survey of service providers, this report is a comprehensive effort to understand when TANF successfully assists victims of family violence, and when the program falls short.
"This special collection includes a categorized and selected listing of articles, fact sheets, papers, reports and surveys. It is offered as an additional tool to assist advocates working on and interested in poverty and how it relates to ending violence against women."
Poverty, Welfare and Battered Women: What Does the Research Tell Us?
This paper provides a brief summary of several very recent studies, focusing on the extent and impact of domestic violence among poor women and women on welfare. The overview concludes with implications of this research for the new TANF welfare program.
Preventing violence and reducing its impact: How development agencies can help (pdf)
This document makes the case for increased attention on the impact of violence on development by international development agencies. A key aim is to stimulate dialogue on the role of international development agencies in the prevention of violence globally, and ultimately to increase investment in a commonly agreed set of applied violence prevention strategies. The primary audience for this document is policy-makers, high-level planners, and others in the international development field.
A Prevention Institute memo highlighting opportunities for improving safety and well-being in our nation’s urban areas while saving money and stimulating the economy.
Progress of South Asian Women 2005 (pdf)
"The document presents a snapshot of women's situation in South Asia, an overview of the processes at work promoting the advancement of women, and identifies gaps during the period 2000–2005. Some of the challenges noted are disproportionate returns to contributions, the added "burden of care," a declining sex ratio, increased gender-based violence, trafficking of women and girls, and the spread of HIV/AIDS."
Progress of the World's Women 2000
UNIFEM's first issue in the biennial investigation of progress made towards a world where women live free from violence, poverty and inequality. Topics covered include women's economic security and rights, engendering governance and leadership and promoting women's human rights.
Progress of the World's Women 2002, Volume 2: Gender Equality and the Millennium Development Goals
This is the second edition of a biennial publication to track and measure the world's commitment to gender equality. It examines progress for women, or the lack of it, in education, literacy, non-agricultural wage employment and parliamentary representation.
This report examines innovative partnership designed to assist the employment needs of immigrant women who are survivors of domestic violence.
Psychological Abuse: A Discussion Paper (pdf)
"This paper is a review of research on psychological abuse in interpersonal and family relationships including in settings such as long-term care residences.The paper presents research findings on the personal, economic and health related costs of psychological abuse to the individual and to society, and briefly outlines legal recourses for victims. It concludes by exploring ways to recognize and address psychological abuse, while emphasizing the importance of developing holistic approaches "
Public Health, Mental Health and Violence Against Women Report
This monograph canvasses the most recent global, national and Victorian research which examines the nature and incidence of violence against women. It also enumerates the costs of this violence, in terms of mental and physical health, and the social and economic costs borne by the whole of the community as a consequence of the combination of cultural and individual factors that give rise to violence against women. This document also takes up the challenges made by the WHO Report on Violence and Health and makes recommendations about potential areas of activity that VicHealth may wish to consider for development through the mental health promotion strategy.
Public Housing Occupency Guidebook (pdf)
In July 2003, HUD issued a revised Public Housing Occupancy Guidebook. The Guidebook includes a new chapter (Part 7, Chapter 19) on domestic violence. The chapter discusses the seriousness and pervasiveness of domestic violence and the need for affordable housing faced by victims of abuse. The chapter further describes the measures that HUD and Congress have taken to address this problem, and actions that HUD urges Public Housing Authorities to take. The DV chapter starts at p. 216 of the Guidebook, which is p. 225 in the PDF document.
Risk Factors for Injury to Women from Domestic Violence
This study concluded that women at greatest risk for injury from domestic violence include those with male partners who abuse alcohol or use drugs, are unemployed or intermittently employed, have less than a high-school education, and are former husbands, estranged husbands, or former boyfriends of the women.
State of World Population 2009 Facing a Changing World: Women, Population and Climate (pdf)
"The report shows that improving the health and education of women and girls sparks economic development, reduces poverty and slows population growth – three key ways to minimize the effects of climate change."
"This 2008 report provides detailed information on the status of girls in Minnesota. It also serves as a tool for advocates, researchers, and policy makers in developing a set of interventions that will ensure girls’ economic, social, and political equality in the state. "
The Cost of Violence in the United States
"The items on this fact sheet provide evidence of the large health and economic burden of violence in the US as reported in the journal article, Medical Costs and Productivity Losses Due to Interpersonal Violence and Self- Directed Violence."
The Economic Dimensions of Interpersonal Violence (pdf)
This document examines the economic effects of interpersonal violence, including sexual violence, as well as the economic effects of interventions seeking to reduce violence and the ways in which economic factors such as poverty and income inequality contribute to violence.
The Economic Impacts of Domestic Violence: A Blueprint for Action (pdf)
"This report contains selected findings and recommendations resulting from a series of hearings held in MA in June 2001. The hearings involved more than 125 people, with 40% of these identifying as survivors of domestic violence."
The Effects of Violence on Women's Employment
This is an abstract of a paper by Susan Lloyd of the Joint Center for Poverty Research of the Macarthur Foundation. The paper addresses whether women who are experiencing or have experienced domestic violence have lower employment rates than women who have not.
The Facts on Health Care & Domestic Violence (pdf)
"Statistics on domestic violence incidents highlighting health consequences to the victim, children's health issues, hospital and other health service costs, identification and screening practices in health care settings, and domestic violence during and after pregnancy."
The Health Costs of Violence: Measuring the burden of disease caused by intimate partner violence (pdf)
This publication is a summary of a study conducted to assess the health impact of intimate partner violence on women. While focusing on health, it complements a vast body of evidence demonstrating the serious social and economic consequences of intimate partner violence for individuals, families and communities.
The Health Costs of Violence: Measuring the burden of disease caused by intimate partner violence (pdf)
"Summary of a study conducted to assess the health impact of intimate partner violence on women."
The Impact of Conflict on Women and Girls in West and Central Africa and the UNICEF response (pdf)
"This first-of-its-kind study by UNICEF on the situation of war-affected girls and women in the region highlights innovative programmes being implemented with partners to address the impact of conflict, and recommends how UNICEF can more proactively champion the rights of girls - particularly adolescent girls."
The Multiple Faces of the Intersections between HIV and Violence Against Women (pdf)
"The report compiles various articles that describe the intersection of and links between violence against women and the increasing number of HIV/AIDS transmissions among women. The publishers hope to prompt discussion and efforts focused on creating integrated policies and programs that address violence against women and HIV."
The New Welfare Law: Child Support Enforcement
This paper is the last in the series and provides a brief overview of family violence issues in the context of child support enforcement and the establishment of paternity.
The State of the World Population 2005 (pdf)
A report on the eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) derived from the United Nations Millennium Summit's declaration to reduce poverty. The report is an outgrowth of the UN Millennium Project's conclusion that gender equality is a human right that is key to achieving the other seven goals. Chapter 7, "Gender-Based Violence: A Price Too High," specifically highlights a global picture of violence against women, affirming that "freedom from violence, especially for girls and women" is a core right and essential to the ability to lead a productive life.
"This briefing paper addresses the needs of the women of the Gulf Coast region and uncovers the multiple disadvantages experienced by women affected by both hurricane Katrina and Rita."
This paper describes results of phone interviews with twelve domestic violence transitional housing programs across the country. Key considerations for new and emerging programs are offered. Program profiles are also provided.
This report is a summary and analysis of recent research studies which identify the extent of domestic violence among women receiving welfare that helps gauge the effects of violence on women's lives, their use of welfare, and on their ability to become economically self-sufficient.
Understanding Financial Literacy with Survivors of Intimate Partner Violence (pdf)
In May of 2011 The Center for Financial Security, the U.S. Department of the Treasury, and the Social Security Administration hosted the workshop "Exploring the Intersection Between Financial Literacy and Domestic Violence".
This article is an issue brief for one of the six presentations from the workshop. This particular articles discusses the importance of financial literacy for survivors of intimate partner violence (IPV) as an avenue for reaching economic empowerment.
The other presentation briefs are linked in MINCAVA as well, but to quickly access all six, you may also go to http://cfs.wisc.edu/events/DV_Workshop.aspx.
Victims' Economic Security and Safety Act (pdf)
VESSA provides unpaid leave, eligibility for unemployment insurance, and protection from employment and insurance discrimination for victims of domestic and sexual violence.
Violence Against Women: The Role of Welfare Reform (pdf)
This research documents the prevalence, incidence, and negative impacts of domestic violence in a California welfare reform population.
Welfare and Domestic Violence Against Women: Lessons from Research
This VAWnet paper provides a succinct summary of welfare research, with a focus on the aspects that have implications for advocates and others who work with women who receive TANF (Temporary Assistance to Needy Families- the program established under PRWORA).
Welfare, Poverty, and Abused Women: New Research and its Implications (pdf)
"This summary of studies on domestic violence and TANF recipients explores their physical and mental health and work experience. It focuses on interference from their partners, barriers to work, the Family Violence Option, and the Child Support Exemption."
When Violence Hits Home: How Economics and Neighborhood Play a Role (pdf)
The study reveals that the incidence of violence in the home is exacerbated by economic factors apart from the characteristics of the individuals involved. Researchers found that economic problems or distresses such as losing one’s job and specific circumstances such as the length of a relationship interact with the kind of community in which people live to influence the offenders and victims of intimate violence. The study sheds light on the connections between intimate violence and personal and economic well-being and on how the type of neighborhood in which women live may influence them to stay in or leave abusive relationships.
Women and HIV/AIDS: Confronting the Crisis
"This report documents the latest information on the current HIV/AIDS pandemic, the devastating and often invisible impact of AIDS on women and girls and highlights the ways discrimination, poverty and gender-based violence help fuel the epidemic. Most importantly, the report targets the strategies to reverse the trends."
Women in Mongolia: Mapping Progress under Transition
This publication tells of Mongolian women's experiences in the context of the political and economic transformation of their country. It shares reports of women encouraged to bear many children, inadequate health care or resources, and high rates of maternal mortality. Recommendations informed through case studies are presented for improving their social and economic status and increasing their political participation.
This report shares findings garnered from a series of interviews held with a diverse group of women from throughout the Gulf region. In telling their stories, it provides an analysis of women's increased vulnerability during times of natural disasters and lays out policy recommendations that pinpoint how best to address those needs in the wake of this disaster, and in anticipation of the next.
This paper is part of series of papers that addresses the way to mobilize community and programatic resources to provide responsive help to children and families affected both by domestic violence and poverty. This particular paper addresses the way to offer support and safety for children while maintaining safety, autonomy and choide for battered women.
Elder abuse
A Response to the Abuse of Vulnerable Adults (pdf)
This report document is the result of a 2000 survey of state adult protective services.
Abuse in Later Life (pdf)
Fact sheet on the abuse of individuals in later life. Includes definitions, challenges and general information.
Abuse in Later Life Wheel (pdf)
This power and control wheel is developed for older victims and is adapted from the original power/equality wheel by the Domestic Abuse Intervention Project in Duluth, MN.
Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation In Licensed Facilities (pdf)
Offers information and resources on elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation in licensed facilities.
Addressing Elder Sexual Abuse: Developing a Community Response
This multimedia curriculum is created to promote community partnerships in combating elder sexual abuse. This is a joint project of the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape and the Pennsylvania Department of Aging and is funded bythe Pennsylvania Department of Aging and the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime & Delinquency.
Broken Trust: Elders, Family & Finances (pdf)
"This is a report of a collaborative study of elder financial abuse. The study examines the prevalence as well as characteristics of victims and perpetrators of financial elder abuse and offers suggestions for identifying and addressing this problem. "
Chinese Lifetime Spiral of Gender Violence (pdf)
"Chinese translation of the Lifetime Spiral of Gender Violence. The spiral implicitly locates a range of abuses in the lives of girls and women, revealing patterns of victimization and perpetration. The Lifetime Spiral is designed to be used by everyone to identify histories of violence in their own lives or in the lives of family and friends."
Detecting, Addressing and Preventing Elder Abuse in Residential Care Facilities (pdf)
"This study focused on detection, investigation, and resolution of elder abuse and neglect complaints in what are known as residential care facilities."
This VAWnet document summarizes research addressing domestic abuse in later life, which is defined as male and female victims, age 50 and older, abused by someone in a trusted, ongoing relationship such as spouse or partner, family member, and/or some caregivers or older battered women. Fifty-four articles published from 1988 to 2002 were reviewed.
This document provides an overview of elder abuse including types of abuse, risk factors, and prevention and intervention strategies for individuals, families, and communities.
Elder Abuse and Neglect Basics: Elder Abuse Laws
This page provides a brief overview of the major areas of federal and state law related to services for elder abuse victims, civil remedies for elder abuse, neglect and exploitation, and the prosecution of crimes against elderly people.
Elder Abuse/Mistreatment Defined
Simple definition and categorization of elder abuse and mistreatment from the Administration on Aging's National Center on Elder Abuse.
Elder Abuse: A Well Kept Secret
This article focuses on defining the scope of the problem, addressing the related issue of self-neglect, and outlining community resources for caregivers of the elderly.
Elder Abuse: A Women’s Issue (pdf)
"This report brings together experts and organizations that work to combat the problem of elder abuse, sharing its many dimensions and complexities, how it affects women in a disproportionate manner, and seeking effective solutions."
Elder Mistreatment: Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation in an Aging America
This full book link is provided courtesy of The National Academies Press. This is an online book and can be read in its entirety front to back, by chapter or skimmed by topic of interest. Published in 2002, this book details everything from the definitions and concepts of elder abuse to the public policy implications as well as to the types of interventions available for working with this population.
Emerging issues in domestic/family violence research
"This paper presents an overview of the key emerging issues in Australian domestic and family violence research in the context of gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and intersex communities; the elderly; those with disabilities; people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds; Indigenous communities; homelessness; the impact on children; and issues around perpetrator programs."
Overviews from frequently asked violence against elderly persons.
Health Care Costs Associated with Violence in Pennsylvania (pdf)
"Reports the impact of violence in Pennsylvania including interpersonal violence (homicide, aggravated assault, rape) domestic violence (partner, child and elder abuse) and self-directed violence (suicide and attempted suicide)."
Korean Lifetime Spiral of Gender Violence (pdf)
"Korean translation of the Lifetime Spiral of Gender Violence. The spiral implicitly locates a range of abuses in the lives of girls and women, revealing patterns of victimization and perpetration. The Lifetime Spiral is designed to be used by everyone to identify histories of violence in their own lives or in the lives of family and friends."
Lifetime Spiral of Gender Violence (pdf)
"The Lifetime Spiral implicitly locates a range of abuses in the lives of girls and women, revealing patterns of victimization and perpetration. The Lifetime Spiral is designed to be used by everyone to identify histories of violence in their own lives or in the lives of family and friends."
Medicaid Fraud Annual Report - 2003 (pdf)
Medicaid fraud is federally recognized form of elder abuse. This report details case examples from 2003 of patient abuse and neglect.
Missing voices: views of older persons on elder abuse (pdf)
This study asks older persons and primary health care workers themselves a series of questions in order to understand what their perceptions are, how they themselves classify elder abuse, and what they perceive as the first steps needed for a global strategy against the abuse of older people. The findings throw new light on how to perceive and approach elder abuse.
National Elder Abuse Incidence Study - 1998 (pdf)
The first report of its kind in the U.S., this incidence report details the definitions of elder abuse, the characteristics of victims and perpetrators of elder abuse, and the findings of this survey project.
NCEA Releases New Study on Abuse of Adults Age 60+ (pdf)
The 2004 Survey of Adult Protective Services, the most rigorous national study of state-level APS data conducted to date, offers important new insights into the troubling elder abuse problem.
New York City Domestic Violence Fatality Review Committee Annual Report 2008 (pdf)
This report describes family-related homicides that occurred in New York City between 2002 and 2007. Includes key findings, risk factors, and action steps in response to findings.
Ohio Elder Abuse Task Force Report (pdf)
This report consists of recommendations, issues for future consideration, and implementation strategies for the prevention of elder abuse as a result of research done by the Ohio Elder Abuse Task Force.
Preventing and Responding to Domestic & Sexual Violence in Later Life
"This special collection brings together selected materials related to preventing and responding to elder abuse, specifically domestic and sexual violence. It highlights the complexities of older people's DV/SV experiences and emphasizes collaborative and multi-pronged approaches to addressing DV/SV in later life."
Psychological Abuse: A Discussion Paper (pdf)
"This paper is a review of research on psychological abuse in interpersonal and family relationships including in settings such as long-term care residences.The paper presents research findings on the personal, economic and health related costs of psychological abuse to the individual and to society, and briefly outlines legal recourses for victims. It concludes by exploring ways to recognize and address psychological abuse, while emphasizing the importance of developing holistic approaches "
Punjabi Lifetime Spiral of Gender Violence (pdf)
"Punjabi translation of the Lifetime Spiral of Gender Violence. The spiral implicitly locates a range of abuses in the lives of girls and women, revealing patterns of victimization and perpetration. The Lifetime Spiral is designed to be used by everyone to identify histories of violence in their own lives or in the lives of family and friends."
Tagalog Lifetime Spiral of Gender Violence (pdf)
"Tagalog translation of the Lifetime Spiral of Gender Violence. The spiral implicitly locates a range of abuses in the lives of girls and women, revealing patterns of victimization and perpetration. The Lifetime Spiral is designed to be used by everyone to identify histories of violence in their own lives or in the lives of family and friends."
This new study commissioned by NCEA highlights data sources on elder abuse in the health care, long term care, criminal justice, fiduciary, and legal services arenas, beyond adult protective services data. Such data are required as a basis for informed and enlightened social policy on the prevention and treatment of elder abuse.
The Multiple Faces of the Intersections between HIV and Violence Against Women (pdf)
"The report compiles various articles that describe the intersection of and links between violence against women and the increasing number of HIV/AIDS transmissions among women. The publishers hope to prompt discussion and efforts focused on creating integrated policies and programs that address violence against women and HIV."
Theoretical Model Development in Elder Mistreatment (pdf)
To foster theoretical model development, this article: (1) takes inventory of the empirically‐derived knowledge on elder mistreatment; (2) reviews the major theoretical approaches to the etiology of elder mistreatment; (3) proposes a new model of elder mistreatment of older adults with cognitive impairment.
Why Does Abuse Happen in Later Life?
"This forum explores the issue of elder abuse and is hosted by Diana Christen, Executive Director of the Family Life Center, a Certified Domestic/Sexual Violence Center and Emergency Shelter in Bunnell, Florida. Diana has specialized in the prevention of domestic/sexual violence for over 10 years."
Women and Health: Today’s Evidence, Tomorrow’s Agenda (pdf)
"This report reviews evidence on the health issues that particularly affect girls and women throughout their life course. This report uses currently available data to draw attention to the consequences and costs of failing to address health issues at appropriate points in their lives."
Global
15 Years of the United Nations Rapporteur on Violence against Women, Its Causes and Consequences (pdf)
This report reviews the status of violence against women as researched in 14 annual reports, 32 country mission reports, and 11 communication reports published as recently as December 2008. The report focuses on reproductive health and rights, poverty, migration, internally displaced persons (IDPs), women refugees, trafficking, aging, and adolescent girls. It also highlights how the mandate on violence against women has changed, what has been learned, and problems still to be addressed.
2008 Status of Egyptian Women Report (pdf)
"The Egyptian Center for Women's Rights recently released its 2008 report on the status of Egyptian women. The report evaluated the current situation for women in Egypt, identifying the particular areas where action is most urgently needed in order to advance women's rights within the country."
Addressing Gender-based Violence: UNFPA Strategy and Framework for Action (pdf)
This report, grounded in UNFPA's overarching goal of eliminating violence against women and girls, identifies particular areas where action is most urgently needed and proposes general policy frameworks for combating gender-based violence.
AIDS Accountability Scorecard on Women 2009 (pdf)
"The first ever global scorecard analyzing country responses to the specific needs and vulnerabilities of women in the context of the AIDS epidemic. This independent assessment, developed through a comprehensive consultative process with global health experts and civil society representatives from across the world, evaluates data that all governments provide as part of the 2001 United Nations Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS."
Baseline Survey on Sexual and Gender Based Violence in Rwanda (pdf)
"This study was conducted to shed light on the magnitude of sexual and gender-based violence in Rwanda, and to determine and analyze the perceptions that communities have about the nature, causes and consequences of incidents of violence. This study also explores the subsequent actions that survivors have taken, and evaluates the role of various stakeholders in preventing and fighting sexual and gender-based violence."
Combating Acid Violence in Bangladesh, India, and Cambodia (pdf)
Acid violence is the “intentional act of violence in which perpetrators throw, spray, or pour acid onto victims' faces and bodies.” The report finds that acid violence is a form of gender-based violence because it disproportionately affects women, which is prohibited by the Convention on Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW).
Bangladesh, India, and Cambodia are all parties to CEDAW and are under a legal obligation to undertake measures to prevent acid violence.
The report calls for the governments of Bangladesh, India, and Cambodia to fulfill their obligation to CEDAW in a number of ways. This includes the adoption of legislation to prevent attacks, provide punishment of perpetrators, and compensate victims. In all three countries, survivors face immense challenges in obtaining adequate healthcare.
This report summarizes studies that have estimated economic costs of intimate partner violence against women, and lays out a framework to measure the costs of intimate partner violence in developing countries, factoring in prevention, response, and opportunity costs.
Country Reports on Human Rights Practices
Country Reports on Human Rights Practices from 1999 til present
Country Reports on Human Rights Practices: 1999
This report discusses the status of internationally recognized human rights in various countries.
"This report articulates a corporate strategy for working with governments and partners in promoting gender equality."
Diamonds: Stories of Women in The Asia-Pacific Network of People Living with HIV (pdf)
"Diamonds is a compilation of the personal narratives of ten women and one girl who are HIV-positive in the Asia Pacific region. The publication is accompanied by a documentary that focuses on four of these stories."
Domestic Violence against Women (pdf)
"This briefing kit in Spanish provides concise information on violence against women (VAW) in Latin America and the Caribbean. It consists of fact sheets in easy-to understand language, and is aimed at parliamentarians to help them advance or amend legislation on VAW."
Domestic Violence Against Women in Albania (pdf)
"This qualitative report examines the prevalence of domestic violence in Albania, including forms of domestic violence and complicating factors."
Domestic Violence Has a Significant and Lasting Impact on Our Community and Beyond (pdf)
This document begins with statistics about domestic violence in the Chicago suburban area, then moves on to provide statistics on a state level, a national level, and a global level.
These publications are designed to help researchers, students, human rights practitioners, and the general public gain a better understanding of human rights. Specifically, these publications address domestic violence issues affecting women in the countries that are listed.
Domestic violence laws in Australia
The report analyzes domestic violence legislation in all Australian States and Territories and in New Zealand in order to assist the Australian Government’s National Plan to Reduce Violence Against Women and their Children. The report notes gaps and overlaps between State and Territory domestic violence protection orders and the Family Law Act 1975.
Dossier on Domestic Violence in Latin America and the Caribbean
"This publication includes a detailed balance of the work developed in Latin American and the Caribbean to eliminate violence against women. The objective of the publication is to have a tool that will help to design future activities in a more accurate way that take into account the economic, cultural and geographical women's reality of the Region in order to eliminate domestic violence. It also contains guidelines and recommendations for the future work on women’s rights for a life free of violence."
Eliminating Violence against Children (pdf)
"Jointly produced by UNICEF and the Inter-Parliamentary Union, this handbook describes measures parliamentarians can take to end violence against children: they can legislate, oversee government activities, allocate financial resources and, as leaders in their nations and communities, raise awareness of issues."
Ending Gender-Based Violence: A call for global action to involve men
In this report, seven masculinity researchers write about masculinity in different parts of the world and about how masculinity is often linked to violence. These acts of violence are committed not only against women and children, but also against other men. The writers suggest a number of ways in which men can be involved in working to combat men’s violence.
"Highlights the 2 most prevalent types of abuse in the lives of women and girls around the world: intimate partner violence and rape. Demonstrates how world-wide gender-based violence is a major public health concern, suggesting strategies to respond."
Ending Violence Against Women: Programming for Prevention, Protection and Care (pdf)
"This handbook, intended primarily for development practitioners, provides practical points to consider when designing and implementing projects addressing violence against women. It is a collection of good practices drawn from ten case studies."
Envisioning a Regional Curriculum: Working with Boys and Men for Gender-based Violence Prevention (pdf)
This consultation brought together 21 participants from 11 countries in East and Southeast Asia and the Pacific. The overall objective was to discuss a coordinated regional approach to capacity development for the region with the following goals:
-Explore the body of knowledge and training materials on masculinity, gender and violence prevention
-Discuss an outline of an adaptable training curriculum to be used for subsequent capacity development activities in the region
-Define a regional approach to training /capacity development and outline next steps
Facts about Violence: U.S. Statistics & Global
"The article lists 45 facts about violence against women in the U.S. and globally along with their sources."
Facts: Intimate Partner Violence for the World Report on Violence and Health
"Describes the global epidemic of IPV in the following categories: The Extent of the Problem; The Consequences of Intimate Partner Violence; What are the Risk Factors for Intimate Partner Violence?; & What Can be Done to Prevent Intimate Partner Violence?"
"Themes from this meeting hosted by the Government of Norway in Oslo include: macroeconomic policies, public finance and gender-responsive budgeting, bilateral and multilateral aid, and funding the women’s movement."
Girls Count: A Global Investment & Action Agenda
"This report describes why and how to initiate effective investments that will give adolescent girls in developing countries a full and equal chance for rewarding lives and livelihoods."
Girls Count: A Global Investment & Action Agenda
"This report describes why and how to initiate effective investments that will give adolescent girls in developing countries a full and equal chance for rewarding lives and livelihoods."
Handbook for legislation on violence against women (pdf)
Based on the work of an expert group meeting in Vienna, United Nations Division for the Advancement of Women of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs developed a Handbook for Legislation on Violence against Women. This Handbook intends to provide all stakeholders with detailed guidance to support the adoption and effective implementation of legislation which prevents violence against women, punishes perpetrators, and ensures the rights of survivors everywhere.
Handbook for legislation on violence against women (Russian) (pdf)
"A Russian translation of the 2009 Handbook for legislation on violence against women, a report of the expert group meeting organized by the United Nations Division for the Advancement of Women and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. The group studied different legislative approaches to violence against women and developed this handbook for legislation based upon best practices and lessons learned. The handbook also includes commentary on legislation on violence against women in a number of countries."
Human Rights Watch World Report 2010 (pdf)
"This 20th annual World Report summarizes human rights conditions in more than 90 countries and territories worldwide. It reflects extensive investigative work undertaken in 2009 by Human Rights Watch staff, usually in close partnership with human rights activists in the country in question."
Human Rights Watch: Reports on Violence Against Women
Lists a series of articles from around the world focusing on violence against women issues.
Implementation of the Bulgarian Law (pdf)
"Throughout 2007, The Advocates' Women's Human Rights Program and BGRF conducted human rights monitoring to investigate implementation of the law by all principals, including the state, police, judges, prosecutors, media and NGOs. This report presents the findings and makes recommendations to improve implementation of the law. The report was produced with the support of the Oak Foundation and UNIFEM."
Integrating gender into HIV/AIDS programmes in the health sector (pdf)
"This tool helps programme managers and health-care providers in the public and private sectors integrate gender into HIV/AIDS programmes they wish to set up, implement and evaluate so they are more responsive to women's needs."
Intimate Partner Violence in China: National Prevalence, Risk Factors and Associated Health Problems
This paper presents the country’s first national estimates of domestic violence. The authors find that sexual jealousy, alcohol consumption, low female contribution to the household income and low socioeconomic status are among a range of factors that make violence more likely.
Intimate Partner Violence: High Costs to Households and Communities (pdf)
A report on the cost of intimate partner violence (IPV) in Bangladesh, Morocco and Uganda. These three countries were specifically studied because they have high rates of IPV and their governments recently began to address this problem through new programs and laws. The researchers found that most women did not utilize services after experiencing IPV. The study concluded that IPV imposes huge direct costs on women and service providers in all three countries, including health, justice, police, local traditional authorities and social services, and indirect costs on women and families through lost wages and lower productivity.
Just Die Quietly: Domestic Violence and Women's Vulnerability to HIV in Uganda
The accounts in this report reveal that Ugandan women are becoming infected with HIV, and will eventually die of AIDS, because the state is failing to protect them from domestic violence. The report informs us that HIV/AIDS programs focusing on fidelity, abstinence, and condom use do not account for the ways in which domestic violence inhibits women's control over sexual matters in marriage. The report urges the Ugandan government to enact domestic violence legislation, and to make women's health, physical integrity, and equal rights in marriage a central focus of AIDS programming.
Justice, Change and Human Rights: International Research and Responses to Domestic Violence (pdf)
This paper is an analytical document synthesizing the findings across PROWID (Promoting Women In Development) supported by Office of Women In Development, USAID. Paper contributes further understanding of international prevalence of domestic violence and factors associated with them. It also examined the state of community responses to domestic violence.
Kenyan Laws and Harmful Customs Curtail Women’s Equal Enjoyment of ICESCR Rights (pdf)
"The Federation of Women Lawyers Kenya (FIDA Kenya) and the International Women’s Human Rights Clinic (IWHRC) at Georgetown University released this report as a supplement to Kenya’s latest periodic report under the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR). The report finds that Kenyan laws and practices prevent women from attaining economic, social and cultural Rights."
Making a Difference: Strategic Communications to End Violence Against Women (pdf)
A toolkit for planning strategic communications to raise awareness about and combat gender-based violence around the world. It gives step-by-step information on developing a media campaign. Alternate version available in Russian.
"This report provides extensive research of the mail-order bride industry in the United Kingdom. The industry is linked to the promotion of trafficking, prostitution, pornography and slavery. The report suggests that this industry not only exploits vulnerable groups of women but also reinforces racial and ethnic stereotypes. Recommendations are given on what the government can do to further protect women."
Missing voices: views of older persons on elder abuse (pdf)
This study asks older persons and primary health care workers themselves a series of questions in order to understand what their perceptions are, how they themselves classify elder abuse, and what they perceive as the first steps needed for a global strategy against the abuse of older people. The findings throw new light on how to perceive and approach elder abuse.
This report focuses on the situations of women who experienced abuse in another country and came to the United States in an effort to protect themselves and their children, but who then faced civil actions in U.S. state or federal courts for child abduction under international legal agreements.
This document presents a general overview of discourses on culture, religion, and tradition that are used to justify violence against women and looks at cases in various countries, as well as methods to counter such arguments. The paper also provides recommendations for activists, scholars, and policy makers.
Overcoming Domestic Violence: A Global Challenge (pdf)
"The project is part of the World Council of Churches' decade on Overcoming Violence. The report contains seven chapters, beginning with the author’s recommendations from the project. The rest of the chapters place domestic violence within an international human rights framework, discuss domestic violence’s roots, its effects on development, relevant international law milestones, practical strategies culled from project experiences around the world, and the importance of monitoring development projects to ensure women’s full participation."
Pakistan: Honor Killings of Girls and Women
January 1999. First Amnesty International report ever to focus on human rights violations not committed by government agents. Reveals that hundreds of women in Pakistan are murdered each year in the name of "honor." Offers recommendations for discouraging "honor killings."
"This report documents good practices in preventing and responding to gender-based violence. The five case studies featured within document initiatives in Armenia, Romania,Turkey and the Ukraine that were implemented by governments and other partners with the support of UNFPA. Although the reports focus on initiatives in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, the practices and lessons learned can be applied throughout the globe."
Prevalence of Intimate Partner Violence Against Women in Regions of Brazil (pdf)
"This article analyzes the results from the 'WHO Multi-country Study on Women’s Health and Domestic Violence,' on the prevalence of intimate partner violence against women in Brazil."
Preventing violence and reducing its impact: How development agencies can help (pdf)
This document makes the case for increased attention on the impact of violence on development by international development agencies. A key aim is to stimulate dialogue on the role of international development agencies in the prevention of violence globally, and ultimately to increase investment in a commonly agreed set of applied violence prevention strategies. The primary audience for this document is policy-makers, high-level planners, and others in the international development field.
Profiling Domestic Violence: A Multi-Country Study
"This study examines the prevalence and correlates of domestic violence and its health consequences using nationally representative data from nine countries: Cambodia, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Egypt, Haiti, India, Nicaragua, Peru, and Zambia."
Programming to Address Violence against Women (pdf)
"This is the second volume in a series that focuses on prevention and response tools for violence against women. The publication features eight case studies that highlight initiatives that have proven successful in combating violence against women: Algeria, Guatemala, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe. The UNFPA hopes to support current efforts in the eight case study countries and encourage other countries to take steps toward ending violence against women."
Progress of South Asian Women 2005 (pdf)
"The document presents a snapshot of women's situation in South Asia, an overview of the processes at work promoting the advancement of women, and identifies gaps during the period 2000–2005. Some of the challenges noted are disproportionate returns to contributions, the added "burden of care," a declining sex ratio, increased gender-based violence, trafficking of women and girls, and the spread of HIV/AIDS."
Progress of the World's Women 2000
UNIFEM's first issue in the biennial investigation of progress made towards a world where women live free from violence, poverty and inequality. Topics covered include women's economic security and rights, engendering governance and leadership and promoting women's human rights.
Progress of the World's Women 2002, Volume 2: Gender Equality and the Millennium Development Goals
This is the second edition of a biennial publication to track and measure the world's commitment to gender equality. It examines progress for women, or the lack of it, in education, literacy, non-agricultural wage employment and parliamentary representation.
"This document presents key findings of the consultation held in May 2008 to identify and promote approaches in national development planning, implementation and budgeting that bring real results in empowering women and reducing HIV and AIDS among women and girls. It highlights the need for a framework that links structural, social and individual determinants of gender inequality as well as presents opportunities to strengthen the focus on intersections between HIV, violence against women, and sexual and reproductive health access and rights. This publication includes a multimedia resource CD, available below for download."
Refugee and Asylum Seeking Women Affected by Rape or Sexual Violence: a Literature Review (pdf)
"The review summarizes the learning from the Refugee Council Vulnerable Women’s Project and situates that learning within the wider context of what is known about rape and sexual violence. It provides a summary of evidence that is available about the prevalence of sexual violence against refugee women, and about access to justice in some of the countries from which the Project’s clients have fled."
Security Begins at Home (pdf)
The Kosova Women’s Network released the country’s first study on domestic violence, called Security Begins at Home. The report highlights key points such as: what the citizens of Kosovo perceive as domestic violence, the forms and consequences of domestic violence, citizens' response to ending it, and the legal and institutional gaps in addressing it.
Seeking Protection: Addressing Sexual and Domestic Violence in Tanzania's Refugee Camps
This report documents how Burundian refugee women confront daily violence in Tanzanian refugee camps.
Silence is Violence: End the Abuse of Women in Afghanistan (pdf)
A new United Nations (UN) report on women in Afghanistan that focuses on the growing trend of violence and threats against women in public life and rape/sexual violence. The report concludes that these forms of violence are a huge occurrence in the everyday lives of Afghan women and the government has a crucial role in helping to eradicate these harmful practices towards women.
State of World Population 2008 Reaching Common Ground: Culture, Gender, and Human Rights (pdf)
"This report gives an overview of the conceptual human rights frameworks as well as the practice of development, looking at the everyday events that make up people’s experience of development. The report presents some of the challenges and dilemmas of culturally sensitive strategies and suggests how partnerships can address them. The focus is on discussing and showcasing how culturally sensitive approaches are critical for the realization of human rights in general and women’s rights in particular."
State of World Population 2009 Facing a Changing World: Women, Population and Climate (pdf)
"The report shows that improving the health and education of women and girls sparks economic development, reduces poverty and slows population growth – three key ways to minimize the effects of climate change."
The Future of the Grave Risk Of Harm Defense in Hague Cases
This article discusses the future of the grave risk of harm defense in Hague Convention international child abduction cases. It provides an interpretation of the Hague Convention in the traditional view as well as in the context of domestic violence. Examples of court rulings are provided which evaluated the nature of abuse and the likelihood of legal protection in the country to which the children are being returned.
A team of Minnesota judges, attorneys, advocates and social scientists created this Bench Guide for judges who are hearing Hague Convention cases involving allegations of domestic violence. The case law in the guide is focused on the District of Minnesota, but help is available for other areas of the country who would like to adapt it.
The project seeks to increase the identification of violence against women in international parental child abduction cases processed in U.S. Courts. That identification will allow the American legal community to help protect battered mothers and their children as they cross international borders to safety in the United States. Specifically, this Web site provides information and resources for individuals, attorneys and non-lawyers who litigate or participate in cases involving the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction where domestic violence is an issue.
The Impact of Conflict on Women and Girls in West and Central Africa and the UNICEF response (pdf)
"This first-of-its-kind study by UNICEF on the situation of war-affected girls and women in the region highlights innovative programmes being implemented with partners to address the impact of conflict, and recommends how UNICEF can more proactively champion the rights of girls - particularly adolescent girls."
The Role of Men and Boys in Achieving Gender Equality (pdf)
A United Nations report that recognizes eliminating violence against women through the promotion of gender equality. The report outlines obstacles men and boys face in this struggle and identifies ways in which they can be involved in preventing violence against women.
The State of the World Population 2005 (pdf)
A report on the eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) derived from the United Nations Millennium Summit's declaration to reduce poverty. The report is an outgrowth of the UN Millennium Project's conclusion that gender equality is a human right that is key to achieving the other seven goals. Chapter 7, "Gender-Based Violence: A Price Too High," specifically highlights a global picture of violence against women, affirming that "freedom from violence, especially for girls and women" is a core right and essential to the ability to lead a productive life.
The State of the World's Children 2009 Report
"The State of the World's Children 2009 examines critical issues in maternal and newborn health, underscoring the need to establish a comprehensive continuum of care for mothers, newborns and children. The report outlines the latest paradigms in health programming and policies for mothers and newborns, and explores policies, programmes and partnerships aimed at improving maternal and neonatal health. Africa and Asia are a key focus for this report, which complements the previous year's issue on child survival."
Third Milestones of a Global Campaign for Violence Prevention Report 2007 (pdf)
"By 2007, three of the six WHO regional committees had adopted violence prevention resolutions, more than 25 countries had developed reports and/or plans of action on violence and health, and more than 100 officially appointed health ministry focal persons were in place to prevent violence, the report finds.The report offers a five year agenda to follow-up on key recommendations."
Third Milestones of a Global Campaign for Violence Prevention Report 2007: Scaling Up
"Reviews progress that has been made in violence prevention since October 2002 and sets out what the World Health Organization and its partners can do over the next 5 years to expand programming and to demonstrate the impact of violence prevention."
Together We Must! End Violence against Women and Girls and HIV & AIDS (pdf)
"This document represents an initial effort to draw attention to the knowledge, institutional capacity and resources needed to comprehensively address the intersection between HIV & AIDS and VAWG. The aim is to stimulate debate and collaboration among practitioners and advocates around how to identify and promote effective prevention policies and practices that can be adapted to various contexts."
Towards a Common European Framework to Monitor Progress in Combating Violence Against Women (pdf)
"Contains proposals for policies and indicators that could form the basis for a tool to monitor State progress in combating violence against women, as well as case studies of European initiatives that illustrate good practices."
Trafficking in Persons Report 2009 (pdf)
"The ninth annual report seeks to increase global awareness of the human trafficking phenomenon by shedding new light on various facets of the problem and highlighting shared and individual efforts of the international community, and to encourage foreign governments to take effective action against all forms of trafficking in persons."
Transforming the National AIDS Response: Advancing Women’s Leadership and Participation (pdf)
"The second in a series of resource guides dedicated to highlighting strategies for incorporating gender equality and women’s rights into national HIV and AIDS responses. This publication discusses various approaches for advancing women’s leadership and meaningful participation of HIV-positive women in the AIDS response."
UN study on Violence Against Children
"A press release on a new effort to provide a detailed global picture of the nature, extent and causes of violence against children, and propose clear recommendations for action to prevent and reduce such violence. The study focuses on violence against children in five settings: the home and family, schools and educational settings, other institutional settings (orphanages, children in conflict with the law), the community and on the streets, and work situations. "
This study is based on qualitative research undertaken in a small community in the province of Punjab in Pakistan. The research aims to deepen understanding of male attitudes and perceptions on gender based violence and their link to masculine identity.
UNiTE to End Violence against Women: The Framework for Action (pdf)
"The overall objective is raising public awareness and increasing political will and resources for preventing and responding to all forms of violence against women and girls – in all parts of the world. The Framework for Action provides an overall “umbrella” for the efforts to be undertaken at global, regional, national and local levels. It identifies five key outcomes as benchmarks for the Campaign, to be achieved in all countries by 2015, and outlines a UN Programme of Activities and expected Outputs."
Violence Against Women in Vietnam (pdf)
This report was prepared for the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). The report draws attention to the lack of ways for the victims of violence obtain reparation and identify the mechanisms guaranteeing the impunity of torturers.
Violence against Women – Facts and Figures (pdf)
"This article provides facts and figures on violence against women to illustrate the devastating toll on women’s lives, on their families, and on society as a whole."
Violence against Women: Facts and Figures
"This article provides facts and figures on violence against women to illustrate the devastating toll on women's lives, on their families, and on society as a whole."
Violence in the EU Examined (pdf)
"A report published by the University of Ljubljana in Slovenia on good practices and general recommendations for domestic violence initiatives in the Czech Republic, Cyprus, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia. The project includes findings on sexual harassment, female genital mutilation, honor crimes, exploitation, trafficking, and other issues affecting women and children. A summary of the report’s general recommendations is also available."
Violence Prevention Alliance: Building Global Commitment for Violence Prevention (pdf)
Published by the World Health Organization, this policy paper sets out the conceptual framework, structure and goals that guide the Violence Prevention Alliance, of which CDC is a member. The paper is divided into two sections: Introducing the Violence Prevention Alliance, and Preventing violence before it occurs. The first section presents the basics of the Alliance, including the reasons behind its creation, the contribution of the health sector, and its scope, goals and working methods. The second section describes the global magnitude of interpersonal violence, discusses its known causes, risk factors and consequences, and presents theoretical tools to organize our understanding of interpersonal violence.
Waves of Violence: Women in Post-Tsunami Sri Lanka
This paper describes a community based and developed program intended to support women and to reduce the incidence of sexual and gender based violence in post-tsunami Sri Lanka. Preliminary data from the project is used to highlight some of the needs of women, as well as the challenges in addressing gender-based violence and marginalization.
Who Answers to Women? Gender & Accountability: Progress of the World's Women 2008/2009 (pdf)
"This report demonstrates that when gender-responsive accountability systems are put in place both nationally and internationally, the Millennium Development Goals and other international commitments to women will be met."
WHO Multi-country Study on Women's Health and Domestic Violence – Country Findings: Brazil
"This fact sheet provides information on the methods and main findings of the study, with regard to the phenomenon of intimate partner violence against women in Brazil. Data on sexual abuse and non-partner physical and sexual violence is also included."
"With an End in Sight" narrates inspiring stories showing how groups of people are moving ahead and creating new ideas to combat violence against women. It provides knowledge, insight and hope of how violence against women can be eliminated with combined effort, compelling advocacy, and wide-reaching education.
Women and Health: Today’s Evidence, Tomorrow’s Agenda (pdf)
"This report reviews evidence on the health issues that particularly affect girls and women throughout their life course. This report uses currently available data to draw attention to the consequences and costs of failing to address health issues at appropriate points in their lives."
Women and HIV/AIDS: Confronting the Crisis
"This report documents the latest information on the current HIV/AIDS pandemic, the devastating and often invisible impact of AIDS on women and girls and highlights the ways discrimination, poverty and gender-based violence help fuel the epidemic. Most importantly, the report targets the strategies to reverse the trends."
Women in Mongolia: Mapping Progress under Transition
This publication tells of Mongolian women's experiences in the context of the political and economic transformation of their country. It shares reports of women encouraged to bear many children, inadequate health care or resources, and high rates of maternal mortality. Recommendations informed through case studies are presented for improving their social and economic status and increasing their political participation.
Women's Human Rights: A Fact Sheet (pdf)
This factsheet outlines women's human rights violations and the obligation states have to protect those rights.
Working to End Violence Against Women in Brazil
"This VAWnet special collection highlights and celebrates the tremendous work being done in Brazil to end violence against women. The selected materials and resources provide a snapshot of the magnitude of the problem and highlight various recommendations for public policy as well as opportunities for community involvement and action."
The consultation brought together approximately 65 participants from East and Southeast Asia and the Pacific and focused three objectives:
-Explore the concepts of masculinities, gender relations, and gender-based violence (GBV) – and how they are connected.
-Share promising practices and lessons learned in the region on the engagement of boys and men in gender equality and GBV prevention.
-Explore next steps to for collaboration across the region to engage boys and men in work towards gender equality and GBV prevention.
The consultation brought together participants from across South Asia and focused on three key objectives:
1. Deepen our understanding of gender, masculinities and gender-based violence in the South Asian context
2. Discuss an approach and process for working together regionally to engage boys and men in work towards gender equality and prevention of Gender-based Violence (GBV)
3. Reach agreement on next steps, roles and responsibilities for working together regionally.
World Report on Violence against Children
"This book addresses all violence against children within the family, schools, alternative care institutions and detention facilities, places where children work and communities. It lists the relevant international and national legal instruments and standards. It also describes the nature and impact of all forms of violence, indicating possible risk and causal factors. Finally, and most important, based on existing evidence and concrete examples, it provides detailed recommendation on measures to be taken to enhance the protection of children from violence."
Zero Tolerance: Stop the Violence Against Women and Children, Stop HIV/AIDS (pdf)
Violence is linked to HIV. Women who have experienced violence may be up to three times more likely to acquire HIV. In addition to behavioral risk factors, there are direct consequences of unprotected forced or coerced sex, and this is compounded by global HIV/AIDS policies that fail to take seriously the realities facing women and girls. Fear of violence can prevent women from seeking VCT, disclosing their serostatus, and receiving treatment when it is needed.
Health/Medical profession
"This report provides an analysis of patterns of human rights abuses against women who are exposed to the risk of or are already living with HIV in rural contexts of widespread poverty and unemployment."
15 Years of the United Nations Rapporteur on Violence against Women, Its Causes and Consequences (pdf)
This report reviews the status of violence against women as researched in 14 annual reports, 32 country mission reports, and 11 communication reports published as recently as December 2008. The report focuses on reproductive health and rights, poverty, migration, internally displaced persons (IDPs), women refugees, trafficking, aging, and adolescent girls. It also highlights how the mandate on violence against women has changed, what has been learned, and problems still to be addressed.
A Blueprint for Responding to Children Exposed to Domestic Violence in Pediatric Health Care (pdf)
The purpose of this document is to provide training for health care providers when working with and screening for children exposed to domestic violence. A list of recommendations is included.
OCDV and the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene developed a training and reference guide for healthcare providers as part of a campaign to reduce cultural, linguistic and systemic barriers preventing domestic violence victims, particularly immigrant women and women of color, from reporting abuse to their healthcare providers.
"This publication contains practical steps needed to integrate measures on gender based violence into reproductive health facilities. It is also meant to help a wider range of readers to understand the connections between reproductive and sexual health and violence. While the Programme Guide is targeting primarily health service providers, it can also be used as a reference guide for advocacy purposes or to undertake other activities in this area."
Also available in French and Russian
A Prevention Primer for Domestic Violence: Terminology, Tools, and the Public Health Approach
This document provides an introduction to basic prevention concepts by exploring the public health approach, two classification systems, a planning tool used to develop more comprehensive initiatives, and the importance of understanding terminology.
Abuse of Pregnant Women and Adverse Birth Outcome: Current Knowledge and Implications for Practice
This study summarizes the prevalence of abuse among women who are pregnant and the subsequent implications associated with their delivery and the health of the newborn infant.
Achieving Equity for Women: Policy Alternatives for the New Administration Symposium Report (pdf)
"This report summarizes the policy research symposium convened by the Institute for Women’s Policy Research and the Wellesley Centers for Women, held in Washington, DC on April 2, 2009. The symposium highlighted four policy areas in which public policy can work to improve the status of women in the United States: women and economic recovery; retirement, social security and aging; quality early care and education; and women and health care reform."
Additional Scripts for Clinic Assessment (pdf)
This document is created for healthcare professionals and provides a series of scripted questions and responses when working with victims of violence. The information is intended to help communicate all the information needed to give to a patient as well as responding to immediate safety issues and making referrals.
Addressing Gender-based Violence: UNFPA Strategy and Framework for Action (pdf)
This report, grounded in UNFPA's overarching goal of eliminating violence against women and girls, identifies particular areas where action is most urgently needed and proposes general policy frameworks for combating gender-based violence.
Addressing the Intersection: Preventing Violence and Promoting Healthy Eating and Active Living (pdf)
"This document provides an explanation of the inter-relationship between violence and healthy eating and activity. The findings and recommendations offered in this paper can support practitioners and advocates in their work to prevent chronic disease in communities heavily impacted by violence. "
Addressing Violence against Women and Girls in Sexual and Reproductive Health Services
This article focuses on the integration of resources to address gender-based violence against women and girls into the existing health care services. The review of the literature aims to provide guidance to health sector program designers and managers in order to facilitate integration.
Advancing the Nation's Health: A Guide to Public Health Research Needs, 2006-2015 (pdf)
"This guide is meant to serve as a critical resource for research areas that should be addressed during the next decade by CDC and its partners in response to current and future public health needs and events."
"This report indicates that persons who report having experienced IPV during their lifetimes also are more likely to report current adverse health conditions and health risk behaviors, underscoring the need for IPV assessment in health-care settings."
AIDS Accountability Scorecard on Women 2009 (pdf)
"The first ever global scorecard analyzing country responses to the specific needs and vulnerabilities of women in the context of the AIDS epidemic. This independent assessment, developed through a comprehensive consultative process with global health experts and civil society representatives from across the world, evaluates data that all governments provide as part of the 2001 United Nations Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS."
A March 2000 report intended to be more than a five-year review of progress since the Beijing Conference. It is intended as a resource document, a reference tool that will help serve as a guide through the maze of government agencies and programs, both general programs and women-specific ones, that benefit women.
American Medical Association Violence Prevention Information
Link to section of AMA website that includes information on Preparing your Practice to Address Family Violence, AMA violence-related reports and policies, Youth Violence Prevention Training and Outreach Guide, and other violence and abuse resources.
An Assessment of Minnesota's Health Care and Public Health Response to Violence Against Women (pdf)
Examines the prevention of violence against women through literature, current policy and practices and lists recommendations for change.
Offers information to health care providers and counselors on the importance of screening for reproductive coercion. Also offers a framework for assessing and responding to sensitive reproductive information.
Assessment for Lifetime Exposure to Violence as a Pathway to Prevention
Provides a brief overview of the research on lifetime exposure to violence and the long-term health consequences of violence. It also examines how assessment for lifetime exposure to violence can create a pathway to prevention and addresses the long-term consequences of exposure to violence over the lifespan.
Before it Occurs: Primary Prevention of Intimate Partner Violence and Abuse (pdf)
Focusing on primary prevention and applying lessons learned from past successes, our chapter presents a framework for meaningful health sector involvement in initiating the environmental change necessary to stop intimate partner violence and abuse before it occurs.
Body Evidence: Intimate Violence against South Asian Women in America
"In Body Evidence, more than twenty scholars and public health professionals uncover the unique challenges faced by victims of violence in intimate spaces . . . within families, communities and trusted relationships in South Asian American communities. Topics include cultural obsession with women's chastity and virginity; the continued silence surrounding intimate violence among women who identify themselves as lesbian, bisexual, or transgender; the consequences of refusing marriage proposals or failing to meet dowry demands; and, ultimately, the ways in which the United States courts often confuse and exacerbate the plights of these women."
A paper on the impact of physical, sexual, and psychological abuse, and exposure to family violence on the sexual, reproductive, and parenting behaviors of young men.
Breaking the Silence: A Training Manual for Activists, Advocates, and Latina Organizers (pdf)
"A guide for domestic violence service providers, activists, counselors and others focused on advancing the rights of battered immigrant women. Based on the FVPF's successful pilot project, the manual provides essential details on how to start organizing and maintaining a group of activists and counselors. This guide is also available in Spanish."
Breaking the Silence: A Training Manual for Activists, Advocates, and Latina Organizers (Spanish) (pdf)
"The first ever guide for domestic violence service providers, activists, counselors and others focused on advancing the rights of battered immigrant women. Based on the FVPF's successful pilot project, the manual provides essential details on how to start organizing and maintaining a group of activists and counselors. This guide is also available in English."
Building Academic Capacity and Expertise in the HEALTH EFFECTS OF VIOLENCE AND ABUSE (pdf)
This report was created from the Proceedings from a Pre-Conference Symposium at the Family Violence Prevention Fund which offers a blueprint on advancing professional health education from a perspective on the health effects on violence and abuse.
Building Bridges Between Domestic Violence Advocates and Healthcare Providers
This paper addresses the role of domestic violence advocates as they face new challenges in the field of health care, with growing demands to provide health care-based training, interventions, and policy initiatives.
This report provides recommendations regarding public health surveillance and research on violence against women developed during a workshop, "Building Data Systems for Monitoring and Responding to Violence Against Women." The Workshop, which was convened October 29--30, 1998, was co-sponsored by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Department of Justice.
Building Domestic Violence Health Care Responses: A Promising Practices Report (pdf)
"A new report that documents dramatic improvements in the health system’s response to domestic violence at Indian, Tribal and Urban health care facilities across the United States. It offers a series of recommendations to continue the progress and ensure that many more American Indian/Alaska Native domestic violence victims get the help that they need when they seek medical care at clinics and hospitals."
Case Studies in Partner Violence
Discusses that interpersonal violence and abuse, especially between relatives and domestic partners, are leading causes of morbidity and mortality. Published in American Family Physician.
Child Abuse and Neglect Fatalities: Statistics and Interventions (pdf)
"This 2008 brief report presents statistical information on maltreatment-related fatalities of children including who are the victims and perpetrators and how communities often respond. "
"Abuse studies from the author’s laboratory, studies of children in orphanages who lacked emotional contact, and a large number of animal deprivation and enrichment studies point to the need for children and young nonhuman mammals to have both stable emotional attachments with and touch from primary adult caregivers, and spontaneous interactions with peers. If these connections are lacking, brain development both of caring behavior and cognitive capacities is damaged in a lasting fashion. The effects of the childhood environment, favorable or unfavorable, interact with all the processes of neurodevelopment."
Community Survey Project: Factors That Influence Disclosure of Domestic Abuse to Providers
The Whatcom County Domestic Violence Comprehensive Plan, completed by the Bellingham-Whatcom County Commission Against Domestic Violence in June 2000, identified the need for increased knowledge about experiences of victims and survivors of domestic violence, as they interface with Whatcom County community and health care providers. To find out more about how victims experience the prospect of disclosing domestic violence to providers, the commission surveyed 1081 women in the county.
Culture Handbook (pdf)
"This handbook is designed to be used by advocates and professionals who work with those who are victims of domestic and sexual violence. It provides some basic information on how to understand culture and begin the process of challenging oneself to become more aware of the ways in which culture impacts our work and the lives of those who are victims."
Detecting, Addressing and Preventing Elder Abuse in Residential Care Facilities (pdf)
"This study focused on detection, investigation, and resolution of elder abuse and neglect complaints in what are known as residential care facilities."
Developmental Status and Early Intervention Service Needs of Maltreated Children (pdf)
"In this report, published by the Institute for Social and Economic Development, the authors analyze findings from the National Early Intervention Longitudinal Study and the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being. They provide information about the developmental status and early intervention service needs of children under age three who are substantiated for maltreatment. Topics include: 1) the extent to which maltreated children have developmental problems or are subject to factors associated with poor developmental outcomes; 2) the services maltreated children might be eligible for and ones they receive through the child welfare systems; 3) case characteristics, such as child welfare setting, that impact the effect of developmental services; and 4) existing barriers to services."
Diamonds: Stories of Women in The Asia-Pacific Network of People Living with HIV (pdf)
"Diamonds is a compilation of the personal narratives of ten women and one girl who are HIV-positive in the Asia Pacific region. The publication is accompanied by a documentary that focuses on four of these stories."
DID YOU KNOW YOUR RELATIONSHIP AFFECTS YOUR HEALTH? (pdf)
A tri-fold patient safety card which contains a checklist to assess safety, healthy/unhealthy relationships, and children's exposure to violence. The card also provides resources and information on how to get help.
DID YOU KNOW YOUR RELATIONSHIP AFFECTS YOUR HEALTH? (Spanish) (pdf)
A tri-fold patient safety card which contains a checklist to assess safety, healthy/unhealthy relationships, and children's exposure to violence. The card also provides resources and information on how to get help.
Documenting Domestic Violence: How Health Care Providers Can Help Victims
This Research in Brief outlines how health care providers can improve the admissibility of evidence and strengthen a case for domestic violence victims.
Domestic Violence Against Women and Girls
"Highlights issues of abuse; femicide; forced prostitution; sexual abuse of children; sex-selective abortion, female infanticide and differential access to food and medical care; and, traditional and cultural practices that affect women's health and lives."
Domestic Violence Against Women in Albania (pdf)
"This qualitative report examines the prevalence of domestic violence in Albania, including forms of domestic violence and complicating factors."
Domestic Violence and Children: A Children's Health Fund Report (pdf)
The author discusses domestic violence as a pediatric issue highlighting the number of children exposed to domestic violence each year and the consequences of such exposure.
Domestic Violence and Health Care
"This special collection on health care and domestic violence draws heavily from the work of the Family Violence Prevention Fund's Health Resource Center. The resources included in this special collection are organized into the following five areas: 1) the impact of domestic violence on health; 2) public health approaches to domestic violence prevention; 3) guidelines and issues concerning identification and intervention by health care providers; 4) information about collaboration between health care providers and domestic violence advocates; and 5) training. This special collection also includes a bibliography of related journal articles."
Domestic Violence and Sexual Violence in Minnesota: Strategies for Prevention and Intervention (pdf)
This planning tool addresses the issue of domestic and sexual violence as they relate to health care and public health in Minnesota.
Domestic Violence in Lesbian, Gay, Transgender and Bisexual Communities: Participant Manual (pdf)
This manual gives health and human service providers the knowledge and skills necessary to sensitively and effectively respond to LGTB victims of domestic violence.
Domestic Violence in Lesbian, Gay, Transgender and Bisexual Communities: Trainers Manual (pdf)
This manual gives trainers for health and human service providers the knowledge and skills necessary to sensitively and effectively respond to LGTB victims of domestic violence.
Domestic Violence is associated with environmental suppression of IQ in young children
The researchers document the consequences of early childhood stress, such as exposure to domestic violence, on brain development, which subsequently can lead to a lower IQ.
Domestic Violence: A Primary Care Issue for Rural Women (pdf)
This article underscores the role of a primary health care provider for rural women who experience domestic violence.
Economic Violence To Women and Girls: Is It Receiving the Necessary Attention? (pdf)
"This paper seeks to draw attention to the types of economic violence experienced by women, and describes its consequences on health and development. Recommendations for practice, policy, and research are also given."
Eliminating the Rape Kit Backlog
"This special online collection provides information to help victim service professionals engage in a multi-disciplinary dialogue about the issues and challenges involved with addressing the backlog of untested rape kits."
Eliminating Violence against Children (pdf)
"Jointly produced by UNICEF and the Inter-Parliamentary Union, this handbook describes measures parliamentarians can take to end violence against children: they can legislate, oversee government activities, allocate financial resources and, as leaders in their nations and communities, raise awareness of issues."
Employment and Domestic Violence
"This special collection includes a categorized and selected listing of articles, bibliographies, fact sheets, laws and court action, papers, regulations, reports and surveys relating to domestic violence and employment. It is offered as an additional tool to assist advocates working on and interested in employment issues related to ending violence against women. "
"Highlights the 2 most prevalent types of abuse in the lives of women and girls around the world: intimate partner violence and rape. Demonstrates how world-wide gender-based violence is a major public health concern, suggesting strategies to respond."
Engaging Boys and Men in Gender Transformation: The Group Education Manual (pdf)
"This manual offers trainers an array of participatory experiential exercises to reach men (and their partners), exploring gender socialization and its impact on HIV prevention and care. Piloted in Ethiopia, Namibia, South Africa and Tanzania, the manual is designed to assist trainers in developing curricula to work with men and boys on gender, HIV and AIDS issues."
Evaluating Domestic Violence Programs
This quality assessment tool for the evaluation of hospital-based domestic violence programs was developed by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) and cosponsored by the Family Violence Prevention Fund to improve the health care response to victims of domestic violence.
Exposure to Violence: Psychological and Academic Correlates in Child Witnesses
2001 Report. Inner-city children are frequently exposed to violence; however, there are few data regarding the psychological and academic correlates of such exposure in young children at school entry. This study aims to document exposure to violence in inner-city children aged 7 years; assess their feelings of distress; and evaluate the relationships of exposure to violence with school performance, behavior, and self-esteem.
Fact Sheet: Domestic Violence and Pregnancy (pdf)
"Highlights the prevalence, risks, and lethality of violence against pregnant women."
Family Violence Nursing Curriculum
While nurses must be able to respond skillfully to victims of all types of violence, responding to victims of family violence requires sensitivity rooted in understanding how it differs from other types of violence. The content of this curriculum, which grew out of the 1999 American Association of Colleges of Nursing competencies, was developed in response to those findings to provide Minnesota nursing faculty essential curricular information to develop student competence in preventing, assessing, and responding to family violence across the lifespan.
Family Violence: An Intervention Model for Dental Professionals (pdf)
Efforts to strengthen responses by health care professionals to family violence have increased dramatically in recent years. As a result, more health care providers are able to recognize the signs of abuse and assist patients who are victims. However, dental professionals appear to be the least likely of all clinicians to suspect and intervene in family violence, even though injuries to the head and neck are present in 60 percent or more of abuse cases. Although they may see abuse-related injuries during patient visits, dental professionals typically have not been trained to recognize the causes of these injuries or how to offer intervention and referrals to patients. This bulletin describes a training model that teaches dental professionals how to recognize symptoms and patterns of abuse, create a safe environment for disclosure, intervene appropriately, refer patients to appropriate services, and file mandatory reports. The bulletin also underscores the importance of including dental professionals in community efforts to coordinate response to family violence.
"This study estimated the frequency and correlates of intimate partner violence by type (physical, sexual, battering, or emotional abuse) among women seeking primary health care. Efforts to universally screen for partner violence and to effectively intervene to reduce the impact of such violence on women’s lives must be a public health priority."
HIV counseling and testing offer numerous opportunities for providers to introduce the issue of domestic violence and to ask persons seeking testing relevant screening questions.
It profiles promising programs that address domestic violence at community health care organizations. This document is designed to encourage primary health care providers to treat domestic violence among their client base and to engage providers, administrators, policymakers and others in a coordinated, community-wide response to domestic violence.
Health Care Costs Associated with Violence in Pennsylvania (pdf)
"Reports the impact of violence in Pennsylvania including interpersonal violence (homicide, aggravated assault, rape) domestic violence (partner, child and elder abuse) and self-directed violence (suicide and attempted suicide)."
Health Cares About Domestic Violence Day: Organizing Packet
Health Cares About Domestic Violence Day (HCADV Day) is a nationally recognized awareness-raising day that takes place annually on the second Wednesday of October. It aims to reach members of the healthcare community and educate them about the critical importance of assessing for domestic violence, as well as the long term health implications of domestic violence and lifetime exposure to violence. While the information provided in this packet is targeted for one specific day, much of the information can be used for awareness and training throughout the year as well.
Health Privacy Principles for Protecting Victims of Domestic Violence
Since women often interact with the health care system for routine or emergency care before they turn to law enforcement or other domestic violence services, health care professionals are in the unique position to identify abuse and intervene early on. This report discusses working with domestic violence advocates and service providers to respond to victims of domestic violence through screening, assessment, documentation, intervention, and referral.
Helping Children Cope with Violence: A School-Based Program That Works (pdf)
Violence is one of our most significant public health issues. Children exposed to violence frequently develop post-traumatic stress symptoms. They are more likely to have behavioral problems, poorer school performance, more days of school absence, and feelings of depression and anxiety. School officials are often willing to provide help at school. But these professionals face an important question: What works? There have been no randomized controlled trials of intervention effectiveness with which to answer this question. To fill this gap, a team of clinician-researchers from several institutions collaborated to develop, implement, and evaluate an intervention designed to help children traumatized by violence. The team included professionals from the RAND Corporation, the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA), and the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD).
Helping with Domestic Violence: Legal Barriers to Serving Teens in Illinois (pdf)
November 2000. Report based on focus groups and interviews with a total of 110 service providers and teen groups in 1999-2000 to determine why so few services were available for teen victims of domestic violence. This research isolated a variety of Illinois laws and regulations that served as barriers. Subsequent review of laws in other states found that on some issues Illinois laws were more helpful to minors, but that in several key instances Illinois laws are in need of change. This report focuses on legal barriers to providing services to teen victims of domestic violence, specifically those that affect access to transitional and long-term housing, orders of protection for domestic violence, and health and mental health services.
Helping Young Children Affected by Domestic Violence: The Role of Pediatric Health Settiings (pdf)
This paper is part of series of paper that addresses the way to mobilize community and programatic resources to provide responsive help to children and families affected both by domestic violence and poverty. This particular paper addresses importance of pediatric health care and mental health care in addressing domestic violence.
A screening tool designed to be used by professionals who are not TBI experts, but can assess for possible head trauma or injury resulting from domestic violence.
HIV Positive Women Report More Partner Violence (pdf)
The paper examines violence as a risk factor for HIV infection that must be addressed through multilevel prevention approaches.
How To Integrate Assessment for Violence and Reproductive Coercion Into Clinical Practice (pdf)
A resource for healthcare providers which outlines points to train staff working with victims of violence and reproductive coercion.
Human Rights Dialogue: Violence Against Women (pdf)
This special edition of the magazine explores how women's advocates are challenging the public/private divide, the cultural and religious objections to granting women's rights, and the common blindness to linkages between violence against women and the deprivation of other rights, specifically economic and social rights.
The guidelines offered here provide specific recommendations for screening and responding to domestic violence in child health settings, which provide a unique and important opportunity to screen for domestic violence and to educate parents about the impact of such violence on children. These guidelines also speak to the need for child health providers to engage in, model, and take leadership in delivering effective primary prevention of domestic violence, as well as other types of family and community violence, by highlighting violence prevention during well child and other routine visits, as a component of routine anticipatory guidance.
Implementing Intimate Partner Violence Screening in Family Planning Centers
This article describes the process of implementing and revising intimate partner violence screening in three large, urban family planning centers over a decade. Monitoring, research, and improvements to the process over the past decade are discussed along with future directions for research and practice.
Improving the Health Care Response to Domestic Violence: A Resource Manual for Health Care Providers
This manual provides health care providers with a wide range of information and tools necessary to become more effective in domestic violence identification, intervention and prevention.
"This Trainer's Manual was developed to help health care providers and domestic violence advocates meet the challenge of training clinicians and other staff within the busy clinic or hospital setting. The Manual provides step-by-step instructions for teaching each section of the Resource Manual including the basics of domestic violence, clinical skills, legal issues, community resources, and role play scenarios. It also includes a special module on cultural diversity."
The purpose of this report is to capture and publish information from an exhaustive needs assessment process conducted over a period of nine months. In Their Own Words is the work of over 200 courageous women and men in the State of Maine who have dared to hope that the truth and wisdom of their experience will be heard by those in power, and that Maine’s mental health and human service systems will respond to the long ignored plight of children and adults traumatized by histories of interpersonal violence.
Integrating gender into HIV/AIDS programmes in the health sector (pdf)
"This tool helps programme managers and health-care providers in the public and private sectors integrate gender into HIV/AIDS programmes they wish to set up, implement and evaluate so they are more responsive to women's needs."
Intersecting Inequalities: Immigrant Women of Colour, Violence and Health Care
This report focuses on racialized immigrant women who have experienced intimate violence and their access to the health care system. The paper reviews current literature and identifies key variables that contribute to immigrant women's vulnerability to violence and lack of access to health care. The response of health care service providers is also examined.
Intimate or Childhood Sexual Abuse and Obesity in Kentucky
This study concluded that sexual abuse, whether experienced as an adult or child, was associated with a 32% increase in obesity among 4,391 women in Kentucky. The study also found that intimate partner violence and obesity are common health threats for women. The authors suggest that efforts to prevent physical and sexual abuse and mental health consequences of abuse on victims can have implications to improve women's health.
Intimate Partner Homicide (pdf)
This issue of the NIJ Journal focuses on a single important topic—homicides committed by the victim’s spouse or other intimate partner. Women are most likely to be the victim in these cases of intimate partner homicide. An overview on page 2 reflects the range of ideas the authors discuss, from aspects of the problem (such as risk factors and the effect of alcohol abuse) to possible steps toward reducing the number of incidents (such as the effectiveness of domestic violence services and the use of fatality reviews). The articles shed new light on a type of crime that continues to have serious social consequences and to present challenges to law enforcement and health providers.
Intimate Partner Violence and Healthy People 2010 Fact Sheet (pdf)
This paper draws statistics from a growing body of research that has linked intimate partner violence (IPV) to many of the leading health indicators defined in the federal Healthy People 2010 initiative. The Healthy People 2010 Leading Health Indicators covered in this fact sheet include: Overweight and Obesity, Tobacco Use, Substance Abuse, Responsible Sexual Behavior, Mental Health, Injury and Violence, Immunization, and Access to Health Care.
"This compilation includes existing tools for assessing intimate partner violence (IPV) and sexual violence (SV) victimization in clinical/healthcare settings. The purpose of this compilation is to provide practitioners and clinicians with the most current inventory of assessment tools for determining IPV and/or SV victimization and to inform decisions about which instruments are most appropriate for use with a given population. This document will aid in the selection of assessment instruments to identify victims requiring additional services. This can help practitioners make appropriate referrals for both victims and perpetrators. "
Intimate Partner Violence in China: National Prevalence, Risk Factors and Associated Health Problems
This paper presents the country’s first national estimates of domestic violence. The authors find that sexual jealousy, alcohol consumption, low female contribution to the household income and low socioeconomic status are among a range of factors that make violence more likely.
Intimate Partner Violence: High Costs to Households and Communities (pdf)
A report on the cost of intimate partner violence (IPV) in Bangladesh, Morocco and Uganda. These three countries were specifically studied because they have high rates of IPV and their governments recently began to address this problem through new programs and laws. The researchers found that most women did not utilize services after experiencing IPV. The study concluded that IPV imposes huge direct costs on women and service providers in all three countries, including health, justice, police, local traditional authorities and social services, and indirect costs on women and families through lost wages and lower productivity.
Is Domestic Violence Screening Helpful? (pdf)
An article published by the Journal of the American Medical Association in which the author reviews the uncertainty in determining whether screening for domestic violence effectively works to the benefit of families.
Just Die Quietly: Domestic Violence and Women's Vulnerability to HIV in Uganda
The accounts in this report reveal that Ugandan women are becoming infected with HIV, and will eventually die of AIDS, because the state is failing to protect them from domestic violence. The report informs us that HIV/AIDS programs focusing on fidelity, abstinence, and condom use do not account for the ways in which domestic violence inhibits women's control over sexual matters in marriage. The report urges the Ugandan government to enact domestic violence legislation, and to make women's health, physical integrity, and equal rights in marriage a central focus of AIDS programming.
Kenyan Laws and Harmful Customs Curtail Women’s Equal Enjoyment of ICESCR Rights (pdf)
"The Federation of Women Lawyers Kenya (FIDA Kenya) and the International Women’s Human Rights Clinic (IWHRC) at Georgetown University released this report as a supplement to Kenya’s latest periodic report under the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR). The report finds that Kenyan laws and practices prevent women from attaining economic, social and cultural Rights."
Knowledge for Health (K4Health) works to improve access to and sharing of global, regional, and country-specific public health knowledge, particularly about family planning and reproductive health (FP/RH).
Making Sense of DNA Backlogs — Myths vs. Reality (pdf)
A special report that addresses the question of why backlogs of DNA evidence awaiting testing persist even after the federal government has provided hundreds of millions of dollars to eliminate them. The report provides an understanding of what a backlog is and how backlogs can be reduced.
"A study conducted through in-depth interviews with 71 women aged 18-49 who had a history of intimate partner violence. Findings include male reproductive control which encompasses pregnancy-promoting behaviors as well as control and abuse during pregnancy in an attempt to influence the pregnancy outcome. Recommendations include assessing for male reproductive control among women seeking reproductive health services, including antenatal care, so that health care providers may be able to provide education, care, and counseling to help women protect their reproductive health and physical safety."
Mandatory Reporting of Child Abuse and Neglect: State Statutes and Professional Ethics (pdf)
A comprehensive listing of state statutes on mandatory reporting of child abuse and neglect. Also included is a listing of reporting requirements and code of ethics for professionals in various fields.
Mobilizing Religious Communities to Respond to Gender-based Violence and HIV: A Training Manual (pdf)
The first in a series of two manuals aimed at raising awareness and educating religious leaders and communities about gender-based violence. The training manual equips religious communities with tools to deepen their awareness and understanding of gender-based violence and its link to HIV and proposes faith-based activities on the subject.
Multi-Agency Practice Guidelines: Handling Cases of Forced Marriage (pdf)
"This report lists warning signs and appropriate actions for teachers and other school employees to take when they suspect a forced marriage of a child is imminent. The report also contains guidelines for police officers, health care professionals, and social workers, and provides general information on good practices when caring for victims of forced marriage."
Nursing Education and Violence Prevention, Detection and Intervention (pdf)
This document presents an overview of the recent literature on the education of nurses in the area of violence prevention, detection and intervention. The goal is to inform educators, researchers and policy makers about gaps in educations services and areas of needed research.
On the Road to Equality: Statewide Findings & Policy Recommendations (pdf)
"A supplement to the Status of Girls in Minnesota report by the Women’s Foundation of Minnesota in partnership with the Institute for Women’s Policy Research. Focus groups were conducted in 18 Minnesota communities that included African American, Latino, Native American, Asian American, LBT (Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender), and disabilities communities — to share key research findings and gain community input. This report captures the voices and policy recommendations of these communities, nonprofit and public leaders."
Physical Dating Violence Among High School Students - United States, 2003
A surveillance report in brief of physical dating violence among high school students and selected characteristics.
Physicians and Domestic Violence: Challenges for Prevention (pdf)
The author discusses a need for health care professionals to invest their efforts in the fight against domestic violence.
Pregnancy coercion, intimate partner violence and unintended pregnancy (pdf)
In surveying females ages 16–29 years seeking care in five family planning clinics in Northern California, pregnancy coercion and birth control sabotage were found to be common among young women utilizing family planning clinics. In the context of partner violence, these findings are associated with increased risk for unintended pregnancy.
Preliminary Adaptations for Working with Traumatized Latino/Hispanic Children and Their Families (pdf)
The Culture and Trauma Briefs series serves to
support the NCTSN commitment to raising
the standard of care for traumatized children,
their families, and their communities by
highlighting the diversity of needs and
experiences of those children, families, and
communities.
This report was developed through information gathered via a preliminary focus group of bilingual/bicultural therapists at a children's hospital in California to address the needs of diverse Latino populations seeking care.
Prevalence and Determinants of Intimate Partner Abuse Among Public Hospital Primary Care Patients (pdf)
"The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence, sociodemographic determinants, and depression correlates of intimate partner abuse among an ethnically diverse population of women patients."
Prevalence of Intimate Partner Violence Among an Abortion Clinic Population
"A cross-sectional clinic based study that estimated the prevalence of intimate partner violence among patients who had elective abortions. The study concluded that abortion patients experience high intimate partner violence rates, indicating the need for targeted screening and community-based referral."
Preventing and Responding to Domestic & Sexual Violence in Later Life
"This special collection brings together selected materials related to preventing and responding to elder abuse, specifically domestic and sexual violence. It highlights the complexities of older people's DV/SV experiences and emphasizes collaborative and multi-pronged approaches to addressing DV/SV in later life."
Preventing and Responding to Teen Dating Violence
This special collection emphasizes collaborative and multilevel approaches to the prevention of, and response to, teen dating violence. It draws on the work of many organizations and organizes the resources on TDV prevention and responses by different populations.
Preventing Domestic Violence: Clinical Guidelines on Routine Screening (pdf)
In this document, the Family Violence Prevention Fund presents recommendations for how domestic violence screening should occur within the health care system and recommends that all health care institutions and practitioners follow these guidelines which include both a general policy statement and specific recommendations.
Preventing violence and reducing its impact: How development agencies can help (pdf)
This document makes the case for increased attention on the impact of violence on development by international development agencies. A key aim is to stimulate dialogue on the role of international development agencies in the prevention of violence globally, and ultimately to increase investment in a commonly agreed set of applied violence prevention strategies. The primary audience for this document is policy-makers, high-level planners, and others in the international development field.
Profiling Domestic Violence: A Multi-Country Study
"This study examines the prevalence and correlates of domestic violence and its health consequences using nationally representative data from nine countries: Cambodia, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Egypt, Haiti, India, Nicaragua, Peru, and Zambia."
Programming to Address Violence against Women (pdf)
"This is the second volume in a series that focuses on prevention and response tools for violence against women. The publication features eight case studies that highlight initiatives that have proven successful in combating violence against women: Algeria, Guatemala, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe. The UNFPA hopes to support current efforts in the eight case study countries and encourage other countries to take steps toward ending violence against women."
"This document presents key findings of the consultation held in May 2008 to identify and promote approaches in national development planning, implementation and budgeting that bring real results in empowering women and reducing HIV and AIDS among women and girls. It highlights the need for a framework that links structural, social and individual determinants of gender inequality as well as presents opportunities to strengthen the focus on intersections between HIV, violence against women, and sexual and reproductive health access and rights. This publication includes a multimedia resource CD, available below for download."
Psychological Abuse: A Discussion Paper (pdf)
"This paper is a review of research on psychological abuse in interpersonal and family relationships including in settings such as long-term care residences.The paper presents research findings on the personal, economic and health related costs of psychological abuse to the individual and to society, and briefly outlines legal recourses for victims. It concludes by exploring ways to recognize and address psychological abuse, while emphasizing the importance of developing holistic approaches "
Psychological Maltreatment of Women Inventory
This tool was created by Dr. Tolman for use in research on woman abuse. The questionnaire (PMWI-Female version) asks about actions that women experience in their relationships with their intimate partner.
Public Health Policy for Preventing Violence (pdf)
"In this paper we discuss the new vision for violence prevention embodied in the public health approach."
Public Health, Mental Health and Violence Against Women Report
This monograph canvasses the most recent global, national and Victorian research which examines the nature and incidence of violence against women. It also enumerates the costs of this violence, in terms of mental and physical health, and the social and economic costs borne by the whole of the community as a consequence of the combination of cultural and individual factors that give rise to violence against women. This document also takes up the challenges made by the WHO Report on Violence and Health and makes recommendations about potential areas of activity that VicHealth may wish to consider for development through the mental health promotion strategy.
Rationale for and Development of the Computerized Intimate Partner Violence Screen for Primary Care (pdf)
Computerized screening for intimate partner violence has the potential of overcoming significant barriers to routine screening in the primary care setting. Opportunities, challenges, and experiences with implementing a computerized intimate partner violence screen are described in this article.
Realizing the Promise of Home Visitation: Addressing Domestic Violence and Child Maltreatment (pdf)
"This guide is intended to help policy makers and advocates build a strong national policy framework to maximize the effectiveness and reach of early childhood home visiting programs. It is intended to ensure that federal home visiting policies directly address: the needs of mothers and children who are experiencing or at risk of experiencing domestic violence, the link between domestic violence and child abuse and neglect, and the impact of domestic violence on the health and well-being of children and families."
This paper examines the context of intimate partner violence in Sub-Saharan Africa, outlines the intersections between partner violence and reproductive health, and considers the opportunities for linkage at the program and service levels. In addition, it explores the opportunities and challenges related to developing an active response to domestic violence within reproductive health services in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Reproductive Justice & Violence Against Women: Understanding the Intersections
"The purpose of this special collection is to provide resources and an introduction to reproductive justice, focusing particularly on the connections between the elimination of reproductive oppression and domestic and sexual violence."
Researching Violence Against Women: A Practical Guide for Researchers and Activists
An in depth look at the issue of violence against women as a health issue and suggests tools for using research and developing data assessing this issue.
Shattered Hearts: The Commercial Sexual Exploitation of American Indian Women and Girls in Minnesota (pdf)
A groundbreaking report released by the Minnesota Indian Women’s Resource Center (MIWRC) highlights the alarming and pervasive sex trafficking of American Indian women and girls in Minnesota. The first comprehensive report of its kind, it highlights risk factors for victims that include poverty, a disproportionate number of American Indian homeless, high incidences of overall sexual assault, Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) and pervasive multi-generational trauma.
Starting Smart: How Early Experiences Affect Brain Development
"This report provides a straightforward summary of the interactions between early brain development, childhood emotional experiences and trauma. Drawing from this research, it concludes by making a case for increased services to counter the disadvantages faced by children who experience trauma or neglect."
State of World Population 2009 Facing a Changing World: Women, Population and Climate (pdf)
"The report shows that improving the health and education of women and girls sparks economic development, reduces poverty and slows population growth – three key ways to minimize the effects of climate change."
"This 2008 report provides detailed information on the status of girls in Minnesota. It also serves as a tool for advocates, researchers, and policy makers in developing a set of interventions that will ensure girls’ economic, social, and political equality in the state. "
Surveillance for Violent Deaths -- National Violent Death Reporting System, 16 States, 2005
"This report summarizes data from CDC's National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS) regarding violent deaths from 16 U.S. states for 2005. Results are reported by sex, age group, race/ethnicity, marital status, location of injury, method of injury, circumstances of injury, and other selected characteristics."
This report examines the links between eating disorders and violence against women and girls. It is based on information gathered from published literature as well as consultations with community workers, health practitioners, and mental health professionals. “Swallowing the Hurt” has been designed for use by frontline workers, health care and social service professionals, educators, and researchers who offer services directly for or who may interact with women and girls experiencing eating disorders or violence.
The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of domestic violence among female patients and to identify clinical characteristics that are associated with current domestic violence.
This new study commissioned by NCEA highlights data sources on elder abuse in the health care, long term care, criminal justice, fiduciary, and legal services arenas, beyond adult protective services data. Such data are required as a basis for informed and enlightened social policy on the prevention and treatment of elder abuse.
The Business Case for Domestic Violence Programs in Health Care Settings
Physicians for a Violence-Free Society and Futures Without Violence worked together to develop this model business case for domestic violence programs. The business case includes a power point presentation you can use to give an overview of domestic violence and make the case for health care response programs. It also includes the Excel-based return on investment (ROI) tool that facilitates analysis of the financial returns that can be anticipated with a domestic violence program. In addition, this guidebook is designed to help users of the ROI tool make the best estimates of costs for their own unique circumstances.
The Cost of Violence in the United States
"The items on this fact sheet provide evidence of the large health and economic burden of violence in the US as reported in the journal article, Medical Costs and Productivity Losses Due to Interpersonal Violence and Self- Directed Violence."
The Effects of Childhood Stress on Health Across the Lifespan
"This document summarizes the available research on childhood stress and its long-term consequences. Of particular interest is the stress caused by child abuse, neglect, and repeated exposure to intimate partner violence."
The Facts on Health Care & Domestic Violence (pdf)
"Statistics on domestic violence incidents highlighting health consequences to the victim, children's health issues, hospital and other health service costs, identification and screening practices in health care settings, and domestic violence during and after pregnancy."
The Facts on Reproductive Health and Violence Against Women (pdf)
This fact sheet provides information and statistics on teen and adult unintended pregnancies, contraception use, sexually transmitted infections, and violence during pregnancy.
The Health Costs of Violence: Measuring the burden of disease caused by intimate partner violence (pdf)
This publication is a summary of a study conducted to assess the health impact of intimate partner violence on women. While focusing on health, it complements a vast body of evidence demonstrating the serious social and economic consequences of intimate partner violence for individuals, families and communities.
The Health Costs of Violence: Measuring the burden of disease caused by intimate partner violence (pdf)
"Summary of a study conducted to assess the health impact of intimate partner violence on women."
The Impact of Conflict on Women and Girls in West and Central Africa and the UNICEF response (pdf)
"This first-of-its-kind study by UNICEF on the situation of war-affected girls and women in the region highlights innovative programmes being implemented with partners to address the impact of conflict, and recommends how UNICEF can more proactively champion the rights of girls - particularly adolescent girls."
"This article provides an overview of the current recommendations for HIV testing and counseling and IPV screening and discusses issues germane to providing services to persons at risk for both HIV and IPV. The article concludes with considerations for practice and policy."
The Multiple Faces of the Intersections between HIV and Violence Against Women (pdf)
"The report compiles various articles that describe the intersection of and links between violence against women and the increasing number of HIV/AIDS transmissions among women. The publishers hope to prompt discussion and efforts focused on creating integrated policies and programs that address violence against women and HIV."
This document examines the relationship between intimate partner violence and unintended pregnancy. This paper also calls on reproductive health programs to incorporate screenings for intimate partner violence among patients.
The Role of the Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner in the Prosecution of Domestic Violence Cases (pdf)
"This document examines the basic components of the domestic violence medico-legal examination; the potential for using findings from the medico-legal examination in prosecutions; and the role of the prosecutor and other Sexual Assault Response Team (SART) members in expanding forensic nursing programs to include care of the domestic violence victim."
The Safe Start Center Series on Children Exposed to Violence: Pediatric Care Settings (pdf)
This issue brief translates emerging research and program practice into action steps for practitioners in pediatric care settings to design and implement programs that meet the needs of children who are exposed to violence.
The State of the World's Children 2009 Report
"The State of the World's Children 2009 examines critical issues in maternal and newborn health, underscoring the need to establish a comprehensive continuum of care for mothers, newborns and children. The report outlines the latest paradigms in health programming and policies for mothers and newborns, and explores policies, programmes and partnerships aimed at improving maternal and neonatal health. Africa and Asia are a key focus for this report, which complements the previous year's issue on child survival."
Thinking About Homicide Risk: A Practice Framework for Counseling
This paper proposes a multi-systemic practice framework to help counselors assess for and respond to homicide risk in family violence contexts. The framework outlines the four main system domains that counselors may need to address: the client system; the therapeutic relationship; the organizational context; and the system of services.
Third Milestones of a Global Campaign for Violence Prevention Report 2007 (pdf)
"By 2007, three of the six WHO regional committees had adopted violence prevention resolutions, more than 25 countries had developed reports and/or plans of action on violence and health, and more than 100 officially appointed health ministry focal persons were in place to prevent violence, the report finds.The report offers a five year agenda to follow-up on key recommendations."
"Using semi-structured interviewing of female domestic abuse survivors and health care providers, this study investigated relationships between female domestic abuse victims' (1) abusive environments, (2) health perceptions and needs, and (3) access to and use of health care services. The results provide evidence that the abusive partner and the health care system are the two major barriers that women face in seeking medical attention for abuse- and non-abuse-related illnesses."
This is a good introduction to advocacy concepts used when working with victims of intimate violence, rape and child abuse. It is designed for use both as a workshop outline and as a guide for direct interactions with individual clients.
Together We Must! End Violence against Women and Girls and HIV & AIDS (pdf)
"This document represents an initial effort to draw attention to the knowledge, institutional capacity and resources needed to comprehensively address the intersection between HIV & AIDS and VAWG. The aim is to stimulate debate and collaboration among practitioners and advocates around how to identify and promote effective prevention policies and practices that can be adapted to various contexts."
This article describes how a self-assessment of maternal and child health programs in a state health department led to a statewide training initiative on domestic violence, sexual assault, and reproductive coercion for family planning providers. Key training concepts, lessons learned, and future directions are discussed.
Transforming the National AIDS Response: Advancing Women’s Leadership and Participation (pdf)
"The second in a series of resource guides dedicated to highlighting strategies for incorporating gender equality and women’s rights into national HIV and AIDS responses. This publication discusses various approaches for advancing women’s leadership and meaningful participation of HIV-positive women in the AIDS response."
Traumatic Brain Injury and Domestic Violence: Understanding the Intersections
"This Special Collection offers information about the intersection between domestic violence and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). It provides advocates and other professionals with tools to screen for TBI within the context of domestic violence as well as presentations, articles, and other relevant resources on the topic. "
This forum addresses the nature and affects of vicarious trauma and compassion fatigue and provides methods to identify and treat them. Hosted by expert Debby Tucker, Executive Director for the National Center on Domestic and Sexual Violence.
Violence & HIV/AIDS: Violence Against Women and Girls as a Cause and Consequence of HIV/AIDS (pdf)
This report examines the relationship between gender violence and women’s vulnerability to HIV/AIDS. According to the report, women are disproportionately affected by the HIV/AIDS epidemic. They are 1.6 times more likely to contract the virus than men. The report states that violence against women is both a cause and consequence of women living with AIDS.
Violence Against Women and HIV/AIDS: Setting the Research Agenda (pdf)
This report summarizes the important future research agenda regarding the intersection of violence against women, particularly sexual violence, within the context of domestic violence and HIV/AIDS.
"Focuses on how prepared the Australian health system is to respond to challenges regarding the provision of safe, confidential places where women can receive effective support and high quality care if they disclose abuse."
Violence against Women – Facts and Figures (pdf)
"This article provides facts and figures on violence against women to illustrate the devastating toll on women’s lives, on their families, and on society as a whole."
Violence in Families: Assessing Prevention and Treatment Programs
This is a full-text online book made available courtesy of The National Academies Press. This important book, published in 1998, details out chapter by chapter the different types of interventions to be utilized by different types of professionals, as well as makes recommendations.
Violence in the Lives of Persons who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing
"This Special Collection offers information regarding the experiences and needs of individuals who are Deaf or hard of hearing and victims/survivors of domestic and/or sexual violence. The collection seeks to increase knowledge and understanding of deaf culture, provide resources to assist professionals working directly with deaf individuals, and highlight best practices."
Violence Prevention Alliance: Building Global Commitment for Violence Prevention (pdf)
Published by the World Health Organization, this policy paper sets out the conceptual framework, structure and goals that guide the Violence Prevention Alliance, of which CDC is a member. The paper is divided into two sections: Introducing the Violence Prevention Alliance, and Preventing violence before it occurs. The first section presents the basics of the Alliance, including the reasons behind its creation, the contribution of the health sector, and its scope, goals and working methods. The second section describes the global magnitude of interpersonal violence, discusses its known causes, risk factors and consequences, and presents theoretical tools to organize our understanding of interpersonal violence.
Violence, Pregnancy and Abortion: Issues of Women's Rights and Public Health (pdf)
The second edition of this monograph reviews worldwide data on the the relationship between violence, pregnancy and abortion and suggests measures different sectors of society can take to reduce the suffering of women and girls, and to ensure their basic human right to be free from violence.
Visibility Through Data: Health Information for Urban American Indian and Alaska Native Communities (pdf)
"This report summarizes information for providers working toward improving the health and well-being of urban American Indian and Alaska Native communities and is a resource that highlights specific health issues facing this population. "
Washington State Domestic Violence and Pregnancy Factsheet (pdf)
The intent of this fact sheet is to provide health care professionals (physicians, midwives, nurses, nutritionists, social workers) with information to increase the safety of women experiencing domestic violence during pregnancy.
Welfare, Poverty, and Abused Women: New Research and its Implications (pdf)
"This summary of studies on domestic violence and TANF recipients explores their physical and mental health and work experience. It focuses on interference from their partners, barriers to work, the Family Violence Option, and the Child Support Exemption."
This report documents the prevalence of intimate partner violence and its association with women's physical, mental, sexual and reproductive health. Data is included on non-partner violence, sexual abuse during childhood and forced first sexual experience. Information is also provided on women’s responses: Whom do women turn to and whom do they tell about the violence in their lives? Do they leave or fight back? Which services do they use and what response do they get?
WHO Multi-country Study on Women's Health and Domestic Violence – Country Findings: Brazil
"This fact sheet provides information on the methods and main findings of the study, with regard to the phenomenon of intimate partner violence against women in Brazil. Data on sexual abuse and non-partner physical and sexual violence is also included."
Women and Health: Today’s Evidence, Tomorrow’s Agenda (pdf)
"This report reviews evidence on the health issues that particularly affect girls and women throughout their life course. This report uses currently available data to draw attention to the consequences and costs of failing to address health issues at appropriate points in their lives."
Women and HIV/AIDS: Confronting the Crisis
"This report documents the latest information on the current HIV/AIDS pandemic, the devastating and often invisible impact of AIDS on women and girls and highlights the ways discrimination, poverty and gender-based violence help fuel the epidemic. Most importantly, the report targets the strategies to reverse the trends."
Women in Mongolia: Mapping Progress under Transition
This publication tells of Mongolian women's experiences in the context of the political and economic transformation of their country. It shares reports of women encouraged to bear many children, inadequate health care or resources, and high rates of maternal mortality. Recommendations informed through case studies are presented for improving their social and economic status and increasing their political participation.
Yaari Dosti: Young Men Redefine Masculinity (pdf)
"This training manual is a tool for those aiming to promote gender equity and address masculinity as a strategy for the prevention of HIV infection. The Manual is based on operations research that was undertaken in Mumbai and Uttar Pradesh to develop educational activities targeted to young men."
Zero Tolerance: Stop the Violence Against Women and Children, Stop HIV/AIDS (pdf)
Violence is linked to HIV. Women who have experienced violence may be up to three times more likely to acquire HIV. In addition to behavioral risk factors, there are direct consequences of unprotected forced or coerced sex, and this is compounded by global HIV/AIDS policies that fail to take seriously the realities facing women and girls. Fear of violence can prevent women from seeking VCT, disclosing their serostatus, and receiving treatment when it is needed.
Homeless
2009 KIDS COUNT Data Book: State Profiles of Child Well-being (pdf)
This 20th annual KIDS COUNT Data Book provides national and state-by-state information and statistical trends on the conditions of America’s children and families. The book reports on indicators of educational achievement, economic well-being, and health, among others. The book also ranks states on a composite indicator of child wellness, aggregating measures such as infant mortality rate, graduation rates, and children in poverty.
Domestic Violence and Homelessness (pdf)
"This fact sheet covers homelessness and DV, DV and poverty, and how women can be trapped by homelessness and violence. This piece encourages policy that reduces the risk of homeless for survivors through housing discrimination protection."
Domestic Violence and Housing (pdf)
"This fact sheet shows the risks of homelessness for DV survivors, the difficulty in obtaining permanent housing, and housing discrimination."
A new report from the National Coalition for the Homeless (NCH) contains case descriptions of each attack that includes sexual assault. The report notes that because crimes committed against homeless persons often go unreported, the actual numbers of non-lethal attacks is likely much higher. Rapes and sexual assaults also tend to go unreported. The report recommends that state legislatures add homeless persons as a “protected class” to hate crime legislation, and encourages police trainings so law enforcement officers will better understand homelessness and how to prevent hate crimes.
Shattered Hearts: The Commercial Sexual Exploitation of American Indian Women and Girls in Minnesota (pdf)
A groundbreaking report released by the Minnesota Indian Women’s Resource Center (MIWRC) highlights the alarming and pervasive sex trafficking of American Indian women and girls in Minnesota. The first comprehensive report of its kind, it highlights risk factors for victims that include poverty, a disproportionate number of American Indian homeless, high incidences of overall sexual assault, Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) and pervasive multi-generational trauma.
The Unclaimed Children Revisited, California Case Study (pdf)
"The purpose of the California Case Study is to identify, document, and analyze effective fiscal, infrastructural, and related policies that support research-informed practices for mental health services to children and adolescents in California."
Trauma-Informed Care for Women Veterans Experiencing Homelessness: A Guide for Service Providers
Trauma Informed Care for Women Veterans Experiencing Homelessness is designed to be used by community-based service agencies that work with homeless female veterans and was created to address the psychological and mental health needs of women veterans. Research suggests that 81-93% of female veterans have been exposed to some type of trauma, significantly higher rates than the civilian population (Zinzow et al., 2007). Traumatic experiences include childhood abuse and neglect, domestic violence, military sexual trauma, and combat-related stress. These experiences have a significant impact on mental and physical health, family relationships, and housing and job stability.
Violence in the Lives of Homeless Women
"Overview of a 6-year research project on family homelessness and poverty in MA. Focuses on findings on prevalence and impact of violence among homeless women, including the impact of both childhood and adult victimization on this population."
Housing
Breaking the Links Between Poverty and Violence against Women: A Resource Guide (pdf)
"This resource guide explores the ways in which poverty and violence are linked. It acknowledges the efforts of women’s groups, community organizations and service agencies that support low-income women to take control of and deal with the poverty and violence in their lives. Another area of focus is to inspire community-based groups to take action on poverty and violence issues by providing practical examples of what others are doing."
Domestic Violence and Homelessness (pdf)
"This fact sheet covers homelessness and DV, DV and poverty, and how women can be trapped by homelessness and violence. This piece encourages policy that reduces the risk of homeless for survivors through housing discrimination protection."
Domestic Violence and Housing (pdf)
"This fact sheet shows the risks of homelessness for DV survivors, the difficulty in obtaining permanent housing, and housing discrimination."
Federal Housing and Domestic Violence: Introduction to Programs, Policy, and Advocacy Opportunities
This paper provides a basic overview of the laws and policies governing the principal federal housing programs and discusses key policy issues these programs raise for battered women.
"This paper offers a research on DV and homelessness and trends in federal housing policy. A model for conducting a community assessment of local housing needs includes critical thinking questions on an organization’s capacity for housing advocacy."
Housing and Battered Women: Increasing Battered Women's Access to Federal Housing Programs
This paper encourages advocates to collaborate in an effort to support proposed federal housing regulations that begin to address some of the housing needs of battered women and to submit comments to the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to support those sections of the proposed regulations that could give battered women faster access to housing.
This paper provides domestic violence advocates with information and strategies to promote the use of this housing program as a resource to assist battered women moving from welfare to work.
State Housing Laws and Legislation to Ensure Housing Rights for Survivors of Violence Against Women
"Providing comprehensive information on current, pending and unsuccessfully proposed legislation protecting the housing rights of survivors of domestic violence, this document is intended for use by advocates, attorneys and organizations."
U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics Special Report, Intimate Partner Violence (pdf)
"This DOJ Report has data on IPV based on estimates from the NCVS. This report is often cited for the finding that intimate partner victimization rates were significantly higher for people living in rental housing vs. those living in their own homes."
Immigrant/Immigration
(Un)heard Voices: Domestic Violence in the Asian American Community (pdf)
This publication is based on the results of a focus group with Asian immigrant women and Asian American women from different backgrounds. Various questions and issues are addressed such as identifying victims and perpetrators, prevalence of domestic violence in Asian communities, barriers confronting Asian women and more. The report also gives recommendations to service providers and a national list of organizations committed to serving battered Asian women.
15 Years of the United Nations Rapporteur on Violence against Women, Its Causes and Consequences (pdf)
This report reviews the status of violence against women as researched in 14 annual reports, 32 country mission reports, and 11 communication reports published as recently as December 2008. The report focuses on reproductive health and rights, poverty, migration, internally displaced persons (IDPs), women refugees, trafficking, aging, and adolescent girls. It also highlights how the mandate on violence against women has changed, what has been learned, and problems still to be addressed.
A Comparison of Domestic Violence Advocacy Models (pdf)
This document contains a chart comparing domestic violence advocacy models and serves as a reference for effective advocacy for Latinas.
Access to HHS-Funded Services for Immigrant Survivors of Domestic Violence
January 2001 Fact Sheet. This Fact Sheet is intended to provide guidance to health and social service agencies and community-based organizations about eligibility for all the various programs and services funded by Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
This Applied Research paper provides an overview of the methodological issues in research used to generate knowledge of the nature and dynamics of domestic violence in immigrant communities, the research findings that help us understand the broad contexts within which immigrant women experience domestic violence, and provides some considerations for culturally competent services.
Assisting Immigrant and Refugee Women Abused by Ther Sponsors: A Guide for Service Providers (pdf)
This guide is written for social service providers in Canada who deal with immigrant and refugee women who are abused by their visa sponsors under the family sponsorship program.
Battered Immigrant Mexican Women’s Perspectives Regarding Abuse and Help-Seeking (pdf)
"A qualitative, pilot study employing in-depth ethno-graphic interviews was conducted to examine perceptions and attitudes towards abuse and the help-seeking behaviors of a sample of ten battered immigrant Mexican women. Findings indicated that participants’ attitudes about seeking help were influenced more by cultural factors (e.g., gender-role expectations, famialism) than by psycho-social stressors (e.g., immigrant status, financial dependency). Suggestions for further research and intervention with this population and a model of internal and external determinants of help-seeking behavior are presented."
Battered Immigrants and U.S. Citizen Spouses (pdf)
Designed to help adjudicators who decide cases involving battered immigrant women to better understand and consider the evidence presented, this paper reviews and provided data about the dynamics of domestic violence experienced by immigrant women. The authors demonstrate how power and control over the immigration status of an immigrant partner enhances the likelihood and severity of abuse. Examples of immigration-related tactics of abuse are provided.
"The purpose of this study was to learn how CPS can be more responsive to families experiencing domestic violence and child abuse and neglect; learn how domestic violence advocates can be more effective in helping clients to respond to allegations of or actual child abuse and neglect and CPS interventions; explore how community can be more responsive to partner abuse and child abuse and neglect and provide support to families involved with CPS; and experiment with a research design that accomplishes the first step of participatory research and at the same time empowers advocates and survivors."
Batterer Intervention Program Enrollment and Completion Among Immigrant Men in Massachusetts (pdf)
"This study describes immigrant clients enrolled in Massachusetts batterer intervention (BI) programs from 2002 to 2004. The study seeks to describe the immigrant men enrolled in Massachusetts BI programs, investigate whether immigrants were more or less likely to complete BI programs than were nonimmigrants, and investigate whether immigrants in non-English, culturally specific groups were more or less likely to complete BI programs than were immigrants in mainstream groups."
Breaking Barriers: A Complete Guide to Legal Rights and Resources for Battered Immigrants
This manual seeks to explain the complex topics of domestic violence and immigration laws that are intended to assist immigrant survivors. The goal of this manual is to provide support and assistance to advocates and attorneys, arming them with the knowledge they need to confidently provide effective assistance to battered immigrant victims and the immigrant community.
Breaking the Links Between Poverty and Violence against Women: A Resource Guide (pdf)
"This resource guide explores the ways in which poverty and violence are linked. It acknowledges the efforts of women’s groups, community organizations and service agencies that support low-income women to take control of and deal with the poverty and violence in their lives. Another area of focus is to inspire community-based groups to take action on poverty and violence issues by providing practical examples of what others are doing."
Breaking the Silence: A Training Manual for Activists, Advocates, and Latina Organizers (pdf)
"A guide for domestic violence service providers, activists, counselors and others focused on advancing the rights of battered immigrant women. Based on the FVPF's successful pilot project, the manual provides essential details on how to start organizing and maintaining a group of activists and counselors. This guide is also available in Spanish."
Breaking the Silence: A Training Manual for Activists, Advocates, and Latina Organizers (Spanish) (pdf)
"The first ever guide for domestic violence service providers, activists, counselors and others focused on advancing the rights of battered immigrant women. Based on the FVPF's successful pilot project, the manual provides essential details on how to start organizing and maintaining a group of activists and counselors. This guide is also available in English."
Contents Include: Barriers Facing Immigrant Victims of Violence against Women; Effective Strategies for Reaching & Serving Immigrant Victims of Violence against Women; Promising Models for Reaching & Serving Immigrant Victims of Violence against Women. The .pdf file size is very large.
This manual provides suggestions and guidance on how to organize projects at improving services and eliminating barriers for ensuring safety for battered rural immigrant women.
Chinese Lifetime Spiral of Gender Violence (pdf)
"Chinese translation of the Lifetime Spiral of Gender Violence. The spiral implicitly locates a range of abuses in the lives of girls and women, revealing patterns of victimization and perpetration. The Lifetime Spiral is designed to be used by everyone to identify histories of violence in their own lives or in the lives of family and friends."
Community Engagement Curriculum Guide (pdf)
This training curriculum is based on a report from the API Institute on Domestic Violence titled "The Community Engagement Continuum: Outreach, Mobilization, Organizing and Accountability to Address Violence Against Women in Asian & Pacific Islander Communities".
Culture Handbook (pdf)
"This handbook is designed to be used by advocates and professionals who work with those who are victims of domestic and sexual violence. It provides some basic information on how to understand culture and begin the process of challenging oneself to become more aware of the ways in which culture impacts our work and the lives of those who are victims."
This handbook is intended for organizations of any size that are interested in developing a bilingual or multilingual legal referral hotline to assist recent immigrant communities with their legal needs. The handbook presents ten fundamental steps to guide any organization. The previous .pdf file containing the handbook is no longer available. The link is to an order form for those who are interested.
Domestic Violence in Communities of Color (pdf)
"This "Facts & Stats Collection" paper highlights specific issues and distinguishing dynamics that confront different women of color, including African American, Asian/Pacific Islander, Hispanic/Latino, and Native American/Alaskan Indian women."
Domestic Violence in Filipino Communities (pdf)
A fact sheet on domestic violence in the Filipino communities and includes a selected list of translated materials and resources in the Tagalog and Ilocano languages.
Domestic Violence in Hmong and Laotian Communities (pdf)
A fact sheet on domestic violence in the Hmong and Laotian communities and includes a list of translated materials in their respective languages.
Domestic Violence in Korean Communities (pdf)
A fact sheet on domestic violence in Korean communities and provides a selected list of translated materials and resources in Korean.
Domestic Violence in South Asian Communities (pdf)
A fact sheet with statistics on domestic violence in Bangladeshi, Bhutanese, Indian, Nepali, Pakistani, and Sri Lankan communities. Also includes a selected list of translated materials in Bengali, Gujrati, Hindi, Punjabi, Tamil, and Urdu languages.
Domestic Violence in Vietnamese Communities (pdf)
A fact sheet that provides statistics on domestic violence in Vietnamese communities, a selection of translated materials for victims and service providers, as well as directories for international resources.
Domestic Violence Materials in Asian & Pacific Islander Languages (pdf)
A list of websites and weblinks containing domestic violence related resources in various Asian and Pacific Islander languages.
Facts & Stats: Domestic Violence in Asian, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Homes (pdf)
"Facts & Stats raises awareness about the experiences of Asian, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander battered women; counters denial about the problem; emphasizes the need for socio-culturally effective prevention and intervention; and serves to guide future research and inform public policy."
Farsi Lifetime Spiral of Gender Violence (pdf)
Farsi translation of the Lifetime Spiral of Gender Violence. It locates a range of abuses and abusers in the lives of girls and women, revealing patterns of victimization and perpetration.
Forced Marriage in Immigrant Communities in the United States: 2011 National Survey Results (pdf)
This resource was developed from information gained through a national survey on the state of forced marriage in the United States. The survey was the first of its kind conducted in the United States and was designed to understand the scope and nature of forced marriage among immigrant communities.
Handbook for legislation on violence against women (pdf)
Based on the work of an expert group meeting in Vienna, United Nations Division for the Advancement of Women of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs developed a Handbook for Legislation on Violence against Women. This Handbook intends to provide all stakeholders with detailed guidance to support the adoption and effective implementation of legislation which prevents violence against women, punishes perpetrators, and ensures the rights of survivors everywhere.
"In this paper, the author will examine both the effectiveness of feminist therapy and its limitations when counseling immigrant and racially visible women who have been abused. The author will also describe the reality of domestic violence among these women and how their needs differ from women in the dominant culture. Strategies for a more inclusive form of feminist therapy will also be offered as alternatives to existing modes of practice and assessment."
Helping Culturally Diverse Victims of Interpersonal Violence: Avoiding Stereotypes & Meetings Needs
"This forum discusses the need to take people's culture into account when providing them with services for interpersonal violence and avoiding the trap of treating people in a cookie-cutter way, based on stereotypes about their culture. This forum is hosted by Lisa Aronson Fontes, PhD. Lisa is a Core Faculty Member in Union Institute & University's Psy.D. Program in Clinical Psychology and has dedicated almost 20 years to making the social service and mental health systems more responsive to culturally diverse people."
This document describes the abuse of migrant domestic workers in the United States as well as laws, guidelines, procedures, and regulations concerning special visas and their enforcement.
How to obtain U Interim Relief: A Brief Manual for Advocates Assisting Immigrant Victims of Crime (pdf)
This manual provides U Visa information for advocates who assist victims of crime, including domestic violence. The author outlines the definition, requirements, and application process for U Visa Interim relief and also offers information on obtaining permanent residency and derivative status for family members.
Immigrant and Refugee Power and Control Wheel
Throughout the world, women are victims of domestic violence just as there are battered women in the United States. Immigrant and refugee women know that in their countries of origin, women have been tortured with sexual abuse by the army/rebels, kidnapped into prostitution, forced into marriages, killed in honor killings, used for sexual slavery, stoned to death and often experience other gender related abuses. This Immigrant and Refugee Power and Control Wheel is an adaptation of the Duluth Power and Conrol wheel created by attendees Immigrant & Refugee Women Support Group in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Immigrant Populations as Victims: Toward a Multicultural Criminal Justice System (pdf)
"This report summarizes findings from a study about the criminal justice system's approach to immigrant victims of crime and barriers that prohibit immigrants from reporting crimes."
Immigrant South Asian Women at Greater Risk for Injury From Intimate Partner Violence (pdf)
"Factors related to immigration may place South Asian immigrant women at increased risk for intimate partner violence. The purpose of the current study was to assess the relations between immigration-related factors and intimate partner violence among a sample of South Asian women residing in the United States."
Immigrant Victims of Domestic Violence: Cultural Challenges and Available Legal Protections
This VAWNET document raises awareness of both the challenges faced by battered immigrant women and some of the legal protections now available to them.
Immigrant Women and Domestic Violence
This special collection highlights the common experiences of immigrant women who are in abusive relationships, the legal protections and public benefits available, and practices and suggestions for increasing the effectiveness of services provided to immigrant women.
Immigration Relief for Crime Victims: The U Visa Manual (pdf)
"This manual aims to provide guidance to lawyers on issues that arise in the context of representing U visa applicants. It is designed for practitioners who are familiar with basic immigration terms and legal concepts."
As part of the International Marriage Broker Regulation Act, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services has released this fact sheet to provide immigrating foreign brides (and other marriage-based visa applicants) with potentially life-saving information about rights and resources available to them in the United States if they are abused.
Intersecting Inequalities: Immigrant Women of Colour, Violence and Health Care
This report focuses on racialized immigrant women who have experienced intimate violence and their access to the health care system. The paper reviews current literature and identifies key variables that contribute to immigrant women's vulnerability to violence and lack of access to health care. The response of health care service providers is also examined.
"This document describes intimate partner violence (IPV) in immigrant and refugee communities in the United States. The report contains four main sections: background information on the incidence of the problem among immigrant and refugee communities, an overview of the needs and challenges of immigrant and refugee IPV victims and service providers, recommendations for funders, service providers and policy-makers, and lastly a discussion of IPV research and evaluation issues to be addressed in immigrant and refugee communities."
Korean Lifetime Spiral of Gender Violence (pdf)
"Korean translation of the Lifetime Spiral of Gender Violence. The spiral implicitly locates a range of abuses in the lives of girls and women, revealing patterns of victimization and perpetration. The Lifetime Spiral is designed to be used by everyone to identify histories of violence in their own lives or in the lives of family and friends."
Latina Cultural Context and Advocacy (pdf)
This document is designed for advocates working with Latina victims of domestic violence. It is intended to help inform advocates of the cultural contexts through which Latina victims see their world, in order to provide culturally informed services.
Local Police Enforcement of Immigration Laws and its Effects on Victims of Domestic Violence
This paper warns that local police and prosecutors should be prepared for the predictable reduction in reporting of serious crimes if law enforcement officers chose to expand their duties to include the policing of immigration matters. The author argues roles of local police is not enforcing immigration law in securing safety for victims of domestic violence.
Mexico: Amnesty International Submission to the UN Universal Periodic Review
An Amnesty International report submitted to the United Nations Human Rights Council in February 2009. The report highlighted problems in the area of violence against women, in particular, the prevalence of domestic violence in Mexico and the femicides in Ciudad Juarez along the U.S.-Mexican border.
This protocol/policy model intends to support domestic violence agencies in the state of Washington to increase and extend the services to immigrant and refugee women whose primary language is not English. However, this information will be relevant to any agency that is a recipient of federal funding.
Patriarchal Beliefs and Perceptions of Abuse among South Asian Immigrant Women
"This study investigates the relationship between South Asian immigrant women’s patriarchal beliefs and their perceptions of spousal abuse. Twenty-minute telephone surveys were conducted with 47 women.As hypothesized, higher agreement with patriarchal social norms predicted a decreased likelihood of identifying the woman in the vignette as a victim of spousal abuse. This finding is discussed in terms of its application to violence against women educational programs in the South Asian immigrant community."
"This report includes a discussion of primary prevention of intimate partner violence, promising approaches to environmental/norms change, an examination of IPV primary prevention within immigrant communities, recommended actions to building momentum for primary prevention of IPV, and immediate next steps. The report is designed as a catalyst and call to action, to give a sense of direction and raise some issues for consideration."
Prevalence and Determinants of Intimate Partner Abuse Among Public Hospital Primary Care Patients (pdf)
"The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence, sociodemographic determinants, and depression correlates of intimate partner abuse among an ethnically diverse population of women patients."
Prevalence and Predictors of Physical Partner Abuse Among Mexican American Women (pdf)
"This study determined the lifetime prevalence of physical abuse by a current partner among women of Mexican origin and assessed factors associated with abuse."
This report examines innovative partnership designed to assist the employment needs of immigrant women who are survivors of domestic violence.
Providing Services to Immigrant Women in Atlantic Canada (pdf)
"This article describes some of the findings of research conducted in 2005 and 2006, which found that being an immigrant was a factor not only in immigrant women’s experiences of violence in Atlantic Canada, but also in their access to support services. Immigrant women and the professionals who provide services to them describe some of the barriers they face and conclude that fully funded and coordinated prevention and intervention programs and services to immigrant women are needed in Atlantic Canada."
Punjabi Lifetime Spiral of Gender Violence (pdf)
"Punjabi translation of the Lifetime Spiral of Gender Violence. The spiral implicitly locates a range of abuses in the lives of girls and women, revealing patterns of victimization and perpetration. The Lifetime Spiral is designed to be used by everyone to identify histories of violence in their own lives or in the lives of family and friends."
Refugee and Asylum Seeking Women Affected by Rape or Sexual Violence: a Literature Review (pdf)
"The review summarizes the learning from the Refugee Council Vulnerable Women’s Project and situates that learning within the wider context of what is known about rape and sexual violence. It provides a summary of evidence that is available about the prevalence of sexual violence against refugee women, and about access to justice in some of the countries from which the Project’s clients have fled."
Resource Guide for Advocates & Attorneys on Interpretation Services for Domestic Violence Victims (pdf)
This document provides guidelines from the Interpretation Technical Assistance and Resource Center that focus on court interpretation for domestic and sexual violence victims with limited English proficiency. These guidelines inform how advocacy, interpretation, and language access can be integrated.
Resources for Working with Immigrant Women
As part of Futures Without Violence, this site provides a list with a number of tools, books and brochures to help immigrant survivors of family violence.
Scope of the Problem: Domestic Violence in Asian, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Homes (pdf)
This document provides information on the prevalence rates of domestic violence in the API communities, unique dynamics in families, socio-cultural barriers in getting help, and highlights the need for ethnic diversity and culturally competent programs.
Sexual Violence against Asian, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Women (pdf)
This document provides guidelines for advocates on various points of intersection of domestic and sexual violence in the API communities.
Shattered Lives: Homicides, Domestic Violence and Asian Families (pdf)
This report focuses on domestic violence related homicides as a critical issue affecting Asian, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander battered women since 2001. Types of domestic violence related homicides, children as victims, and perpetrator types are discussed. Findings and recommendations are also provided.
Silent Epidemic: A Survey of Violence Among Young Asian American Women
This report examines the impact of sexual violence, intimate partner violence and stalking on young Asian American women. The study also examines levels of awareness, prevalence, and access to services. It also addresses cultural and institutional barriers that Asian American victims of sexual violence, intimate partner violence and stalking may face.
State of World Population 2008 Reaching Common Ground: Culture, Gender, and Human Rights (pdf)
"This report gives an overview of the conceptual human rights frameworks as well as the practice of development, looking at the everyday events that make up people’s experience of development. The report presents some of the challenges and dilemmas of culturally sensitive strategies and suggests how partnerships can address them. The focus is on discussing and showcasing how culturally sensitive approaches are critical for the realization of human rights in general and women’s rights in particular."
Substance Abuse Among Southeast Asians in the U.S.: Implications for Practice and Research
"The literature on Asian-American substance use has shown a general increase in consumption and related problems due, in part, to the effects of acculturation toward U.S. drinking norms. Southeast Asians arc the most recent of Asian groups to come to the U.S., and have done so following an immigration and refugee experience that was among the most traumatic in recent memory resulting in significant levels of psychosocial distress. The combined influences of mental health disorders, which frequently co-occur with substance abuse, and acculturation pressures suggest that a significant increase in substance abuse problems may be in progress for Southeast Asian immigrants. The current article outlines the literature on substance abuse among Vietnamese, Cambodians and Laotians in the U.S., and makes tentative recommendations for assessment, treatment and future research."
The Crossing Borders Self-Assessment Guide (pdf)
"A tool kit for doing the "inside work" within programs to strengthen and expand services for immigrant survivors of domestic violence."
With this report, Minnesota Advocates highlights many of the innovative programs and legislative initiatives that advance the safety of battered refugee and immigrant women and the serious obstacles they face when accessing protection from domestic violence and in pursuing accountability for their abusers. Minnesota Advocates findings are derived from over 150 interviews, primarily in Hennepin and Ramsey Counties, with judges, lawyers, prosecutors, public defenders, advocates, probation officers, immigration officials, medical service providers, interpreters, child protection employees and others regarding their interaction with refugee and immigrant women who have been battered. This report includes an analysis of governments compliance with their obligation to protect the human rights, safety and security of refugee and immigrant women who are victims of violence.
The Invisible Exodus: North Koreans in the People's Republic of China.
This report presents a comprehensive overview of this human rights disaster, grounded in first-hand accounts of North Koreans who escaped to the South, and humanitarian workers who aided them and many less fortunate. It examines the complex and harrowing decision of migrants to leave, an illegal act often deemed tantamount to treason; the months and even years of hiding in China; the desperate circumstances that lead women to sell themselves as sexual companions; and the vulnerability these migrants have that open them to every and any abuse.
The Multiple Faces of the Intersections between HIV and Violence Against Women (pdf)
"The report compiles various articles that describe the intersection of and links between violence against women and the increasing number of HIV/AIDS transmissions among women. The publishers hope to prompt discussion and efforts focused on creating integrated policies and programs that address violence against women and HIV."
The Social Construction of Wife Abuse: Experiences of Asian Indian Women in the United States
"The terms wife abuse and battered woman were coined in the 1970s. Although such naming is meaningful, these social constructions are restrictive so that only a narrow range of behaviors and people fit these labels. With the help of interviews with Hindu Asian Indian immigrants, this article highlights the importance of including the experiences of diverse groups of women in any analysis of domestic violence. The study challenges the popular perception of abused women, specifically South Asian battered women, as passive victims."
The Use of Expert Testimony on Intimate Partner Violence (pdf)
"This Applied Research paper presents an overview of the uses of expert testimony, the qualifications and roles of experts, the literature on the use of testimony on the effects of battering, and considerations for future research."
The VAWA Manual: Immigration Relief for Abused Immigrants (pdf)
Manual on the preparation, filing and processing of applications pursuant to the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). Also includes detailed information on Special Immigrant Juvenile Status for Children Under Juvenile Court Jurisdiction, and U and T Non-Immigrant Visas (Victims of Crime and Trafficking). A good resource for advocates and legal professionals working with these victims.
This document takes some time to download, especially with a slow connection.
The VAWA Manual: Immigration Relief for Abused Immigrants, Index of Appendices 1-100 (pdf)
Contains a list of appendices in connection with The VAWA Manual: Immigration Relief for Abused Immigrants.
The VAWA Manual: Immigration Relief for Abused Immigrants, Index of Appendices 101-200 (pdf)
Contains a list of appendices in connection with The VAWA Manual: Immigration Relief for Abused Immigrants.
The VAWA Manual: Immigration Relief for Abused Immigrants, Index of Appendices 201-300 (pdf)
Contains a list of appendices in connection with The VAWA Manual: Immigration Relief for Abused Immigrants.
The VAWA Manual: Immigration Relief for Abused Immigrants, Index of Appendices 301-380 (pdf)
Contains a list of appendices in connection with The VAWA Manual: Immigration Relief for Abused Immigrants.
UN study on Violence Against Children
"A press release on a new effort to provide a detailed global picture of the nature, extent and causes of violence against children, and propose clear recommendations for action to prevent and reduce such violence. The study focuses on violence against children in five settings: the home and family, schools and educational settings, other institutional settings (orphanages, children in conflict with the law), the community and on the streets, and work situations. "
Vietnamese Lifetime Spiral of Gender Violence (pdf)
Vietnamese translation of the Lifetime Spiral of Gender Violence.
"Intimate partner violence against immigrant women is at epidemic proportions, but research has only recently begun to address the concern. A review of the legal, medical, and social science research literature reveals little data, but that which exist demonstrate that immigrant women's cultures, contexts, and legal status (a) increase vulnerability for abuse, (b) are used by batterers to control and abuse immigrant women, and (c) create barriers to women seeking and receiving help. Data also reveal that immigrant culture and context offer resiliency factors through which programs and policy can be used to better serve these populations."
Violence Against Women: Classic Papers
The purpose of this project was to assemble some of the classic works in the field of violence against women so that new generations of students, practitioners, and researchers would have a collective understanding of the work that has shaped the field. Included are commentaries from the original authors, when available, reflecting on why they authored the work when they did and the influence of their work on the field.
Internet safety/Technology
A High-Tech Twist on Abuse: Technology, Intimate Partner Stalking, and Advocacy
This Violence Against Women Online Resources commissioned document summarizes the existing knowledge on the use of technology to stalk. The author uses both published literature and contributions provided by numerous survivors’ reports to provide current information on the variety of sophisticated tools that are being used to stalk current and former intimate partners. The article also provides specific strategies for advocates, including safety planning information, a resource list, and a handout for survivors.
Australian Institute of Criminology: Cyberstalking (pdf)
This article speaks to the different forms of stalking made possible with the use of the internet. Methods of intervention including legislation are discussed as well.
This research report describes how and why two Midwestern domestic violence organizations use Internet and wireless communication technologies.
Domestic Violence Organizations Online: Risks, Ethical Dilemmas, and Liability Issues
The Violence Against Women Online Resources commissioned document outlines the risk and liability issues related to use of the Internet and suggests risk-management guidelines to protect organizations from liability. This paper also discusses the lack of empirical research in online service delivery and suggests research approaches for further understanding of the use of online services.
Helpful or Harmful?: How Innovative Communication Technology Affects Survivors of Intimate Violence
This paper explores: 1) the prevalence of web usage by both survivors of intimate violence and the organizations that serve them; 2) the ways in which batterers misuse communication technology to monitor and control their partners activities; and 3) precautions that survivors and organizations can employ to safeguard themselves from liability, harm, and ethical conundrums.
Article on how to erase history lists and cache files on your browser.
New York State Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence Winter 2010 Bulletin (pdf)
In the latest issue of the NYS Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence's (OPDV) quarterly newsletter, topics include the use of technology in stalking, predicting reabuse and murders of intimate partners, and training events happening around the state.
Some Safety Considerations around using Technology
Provides basic safety considerations and tips around the use of technology for maintaining safety. Also speaks to the potential misuses of technology to monitor phone and internet activity.
Survivors of Intimate Violence Seek Help Online: Implications of Responding to Increasing Requests
March 19, 2001. This article documents a one-year study of unsolicited email requests sent to Violence Against Women Online Resources. This article explores some of the implications of responding to requests from survivors online; and seeks to raise awareness about one particular website's increasing number of electronic help-seeking requests. The author calls for a national discussion on responding to such requests and underscores the importance of developing a strategic plan to address the issue.
Technological Safety for Domestic Violence Survivors
"Technological tools such as phones, computers, and searchable databases are being used to monitor, harass, and threaten current or former intimate partners. This forum will explore the safety risks and benefits of technology and cover areas of confidentiality, co-location, and data sharing. The host for this forum is Anzala Alozie. Anzala is the Director of Services at the New York State Coalition Against Domestic Violence and provides management of the statewide Domestic & Sexual Violence Hotline, Women of Color Leadership, Economic Justice, Technology Safety, and Training projects."
Technology and Teen Dating Violence (pdf)
This issue brief explains the ways technology can be used as tools of abuse. It offers tips to providers working on safety planning with teens experiencing abuse.
Technology Safety & Advocacy Special Collection
This special collection includes a categorized and annotated listing of selected articles, fact sheets, papers, reports and other materials regarding the use of technology as it impacts and intersects with violence against women and children. It is offered as an additional tool to assist advocates working on and interested in the safe use of technology.
The Role of Information Communications Technologies in Violence Prevention (pdf)
This paper, part of a Dec 2011 Institute of Medicine workshop on violence prevention, provides a brief introduction to the current and potential role that information and communication technologies (ICTs) can play in the prevention and reduction of violence.
Warning!!: How an Abuser Can Discover Your Internet Activities (pdf)
This article discusses email safety and methods for clearing the computer cache of visited sites.
Interventions
"This paper examines the process Vermont used, including areas of both agreement and uncertainty, and introduces the protocol to a wider audience of interveners. It draws on a review of planning notes and other documents and a series of interviews with those who participated in shaping the process and the protocol. It provides a starting point for other communities to explore their own response to children at domestic violence incidents, as well as an approach that can be used to examine other aspects of intervention."
A Blueprint for Responding to Children Exposed to Domestic Violence in Pediatric Health Care (pdf)
The purpose of this document is to provide training for health care providers when working with and screening for children exposed to domestic violence. A list of recommendations is included.
A Development Approach to Working with Teen Victims (pdf)
This issue brief discusses the need for service providers to understand adolescent development in order to effectively provide interventions for teen victims of abuse.
"This preliminary experiment tests whether African American and European American abused women who give testimony about their experiences of intimate partner violence and learn how to use yogic breathing techniques have reduced feelings of depression. Results indicate that learning yogic breathing techniques alone and combined with giving testimony significantly reduces feelings of depression. "
A Review of Standards for Batterer Intervention Programs
This document reports on the current status of standards for batterer intervention programs in each U.S. state, describes the common elements of standards, and explores the positive and negative aspects of standards. It includes a chart outlining the status of standards in each state.
Access to HHS-Funded Services for Immigrant Survivors of Domestic Violence
January 2001 Fact Sheet. This Fact Sheet is intended to provide guidance to health and social service agencies and community-based organizations about eligibility for all the various programs and services funded by Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
Addressing Elder Sexual Abuse: Developing a Community Response
This multimedia curriculum is created to promote community partnerships in combating elder sexual abuse. This is a joint project of the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape and the Pennsylvania Department of Aging and is funded bythe Pennsylvania Department of Aging and the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime & Delinquency.
Advocacy Beyond Leaving: Helping Battered Women in Contact With Current or Former Partners (pdf)
A guide for domestic violence advocates providing information on improving outreach and responses to domestic violence victims who are in contact with their partners or children’s fathers. This guide addresses how to identify safety strategies, find resources and to know what to say when a victim’s focus and goals are to remain in contact, remain in the relationship or to improve their children’s relationship with their father.
Advocacy Challenges in a CCR: Protecting Confidentiality While Promoting a Coordinated Response (pdf)
This article examines the conflict advocates face between the victims’ need for confidentiality and the broader need for collaboration in a CCR, and explores how an advocacy program balances these two seemingly competing interests. This article provides helpful insight into how an advocacy program remain an effective partner within a CCR while still protecting the confidentiality of the battered women it serves.
Advocacy in a Coordinated Community Response: Overview and Highlights of Three Programs
This article gives an overview of advocacy - namely individual advocacy and systems advocacy and describes them as an integral part of community response. It also stresses the importance of each type of advocacy working collectively in enabling battered women to overcome obstacles.
Assessment and evaluation of men who batter women
"Reviews research on characteristics of batterers and encourages ethnically and culturally sensitive approaches to assessment that are to plan effective interventions. Includes considerations regarding assessments for substance abuse, homicide, and more."
Asset Building and Individual Development Accounts (IDAs)
This special collection includes a categorized and selected listing of articles, fact sheets, papers, reports and surveys. It is offered as an additional tool to assist advocates working on and interested in Individual Development Accounts (IDAs) and how they relate to ending violence against women. Direct links to the documents are provided.
Barbara J. Hart's Collected Writings
Barbara J. Hart is the Legal Director of the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence, Associate Director of the Battered Women's Justice Project, and Legal Consultant to the National Resource Center on Domestic Violence. This document contains 16 of her writings around issues of domestic violence.
Battered Immigrant Mexican Women’s Perspectives Regarding Abuse and Help-Seeking (pdf)
"A qualitative, pilot study employing in-depth ethno-graphic interviews was conducted to examine perceptions and attitudes towards abuse and the help-seeking behaviors of a sample of ten battered immigrant Mexican women. Findings indicated that participants’ attitudes about seeking help were influenced more by cultural factors (e.g., gender-role expectations, famialism) than by psycho-social stressors (e.g., immigrant status, financial dependency). Suggestions for further research and intervention with this population and a model of internal and external determinants of help-seeking behavior are presented."
"The purpose of this study was to learn how CPS can be more responsive to families experiencing domestic violence and child abuse and neglect; learn how domestic violence advocates can be more effective in helping clients to respond to allegations of or actual child abuse and neglect and CPS interventions; explore how community can be more responsive to partner abuse and child abuse and neglect and provide support to families involved with CPS; and experiment with a research design that accomplishes the first step of participatory research and at the same time empowers advocates and survivors."
Battered Women’s Protective Strategies
"This Applied Research paper adopts a holistic approach to understand battered women’s protective strategies, reviewing a wide range of strategies used by women to cope with numerous threats posed by battering, not just the threat of bodily harm."
Batterer Intervention: Program Approaches and Criminal Justice Strategies (pdf)
This February 1998 report strives to improve the working relationship and mutual understanding between criminal justice personnel and batterer program staff. A secondary goal is to expand the debate about innovative batterer intervention approaches to include criminal justice personnel who work with batterers daily and criminal justice policymakers who are concerned with domestic violence. Published by the U.S. Department of Justice's Office of Justice Programs at the National Institute of Justice.
Beyond Observation: Considerations for Advancing Domestic Violence Practice in Supervised Visitation (pdf)
"This paper presents considerations for expanded practice in the Supervised Visitation Grant Program and describes interventions that go beyond observation in the supervised visitation setting."
Breaking the Cycle offers information, exercises and more to help batterer intervention programs begin these essential conversations. These curriculum guidelines were produced by the Family Violence Prevention Fund with generous support from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation.
Breaking the Cycle: Part I
Breaking the Cycle: Part II
Breaking the Cycle: Tools
Audio Stories
Michael’s Story Part 1 (English, 2:08)
Michael’s Story Part 2 (English, 5:08)
Miguel’s Story Part 1 (Spanish, 2:15)
Miguel’s Story Part 2 (Spanish, 5:39)
Breaking the Silence: A Training Manual for Activists, Advocates, and Latina Organizers (pdf)
"A guide for domestic violence service providers, activists, counselors and others focused on advancing the rights of battered immigrant women. Based on the FVPF's successful pilot project, the manual provides essential details on how to start organizing and maintaining a group of activists and counselors. This guide is also available in Spanish."
Breaking the Silence: A Training Manual for Activists, Advocates, and Latina Organizers (Spanish) (pdf)
"The first ever guide for domestic violence service providers, activists, counselors and others focused on advancing the rights of battered immigrant women. Based on the FVPF's successful pilot project, the manual provides essential details on how to start organizing and maintaining a group of activists and counselors. This guide is also available in English."
This document presents ideas, concepts, and strategies to encourage community-based domestic violence advocates and their law enforcement allies to consider new approaches to partnership and problem-solving.
Bringing the Greenbook to Life: a Resource Guide for Communities (pdf)
"This guide is designed for communities seeking to develop interventions that will improve their responses to families suffering both domestic violence and child maltreatment."
Building Bridges Between Domestic Violence Advocates and Healthcare Providers
This paper addresses the role of domestic violence advocates as they face new challenges in the field of health care, with growing demands to provide health care-based training, interventions, and policy initiatives.
Contents Include: Barriers Facing Immigrant Victims of Violence against Women; Effective Strategies for Reaching & Serving Immigrant Victims of Violence against Women; Promising Models for Reaching & Serving Immigrant Victims of Violence against Women. The .pdf file size is very large.
This report provides recommendations regarding public health surveillance and research on violence against women developed during a workshop, "Building Data Systems for Monitoring and Responding to Violence Against Women." The Workshop, which was convened October 29--30, 1998, was co-sponsored by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Department of Justice.
Building Opportunities for Battered Women's Safety and Self-Sufficiency
Practice paper from a series of papers for an initiative to provide technical assistance to state administrators and domestic violence advocates implementing the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (PRWORA) in TANF and child support enforcement (CSE) contexts. This initiative is a partnership between the National Resource Center on Domestic Violence (NRC) and the Administration for Children and Families, DHHS. This paper, Practice Paper #1, includes background information about domestic violence and the options battered women need to be safe and self-sufficient, and concise discussions of key implementation issues.
California Batterer Intervention Systems Study
This study on batterer intervention programs in the state of California encompasses 5 counties, 53 batterer intervention programs that provide client data, and over 1,000 men enrolled in those programs. The study found that the individual characteristics of the offenders, and not the program they were enrolled in nor the features of the specific court they were sentenced in, were the strongest predictors of outcomes.
Child Abuse and Neglect Fatalities: Statistics and Interventions (pdf)
"This 2008 brief report presents statistical information on maltreatment-related fatalities of children including who are the victims and perpetrators and how communities often respond. "
Child Welfare: Health & Human Services
This website provides a number of documents and related resources, particlarly for child welfare workers. Training resources and interventions are provided as well.
Child Witnesses to Domestic Violence - Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions about child witnessing of domestic violence are answered along with information about how children are impacted, the long-term effects, and how to help.
Children Exposed to Domestic Violence (pdf)
In this brief, an outline is provided that details the domestic violence problem, how it effects children by age and gender, the connection between DV and child abuse, and Rhode Islands specific efforts to combat the problem.
Children Exposed to Intimate Partner Violence (pdf)
The information provided in this article centers on the effects of child exposure to domestic violence, parenting practices, the need for collaboration between domestic violence advocates and child protection workers, and interventions for exposed children.
This handbook is for domestic violence specialists and trainers in police departments. It is designed to increase the understanding of children’s exposure to domestic violence by officers responding to these situations.
This 26-page resource helps educators understand how violence affects children at different ages, what teachers may see in the classroom, teaching strategies, handling parent-attended events, and supporting students who disclose.
Children Hurt Too: How You Can Help (pdf)
This booklet contains information put together by King County in Washington, that can help parents to talk to their children about the violence, and help children to recover from their experience so they don’t become abusers or victims themselves.
Conflict Resolution Tools for Domestic Violence Shelter Staff
"This special collection includes selected materials and resources intended to equip advocates with a contextual framework and practical skills to better resolve conflicts that often arise within a shelter environment."
Confronting Sexual Violence in Conflict Situations (pdf)
"This document is one of four sections to be published in the organization's upcoming handbook, 'Women Claiming Justice: Using International Law in Conflict and Post-Conflict Situations'. The report outlines the various manifestations of sexual violence frequently exhibited in conflict zones, specifically highlighting rape and sexual abuse, domestic violence, sexual exploitation, and trafficking. Also provides a “Peace Builders Action Toolkit” with resources for activists working to create peace and justice. "
Controversies and Recent Studies of Batterer Intervention Program Effectiveness
This VAWnet document examines the effectiveness of batterer intervention programs and particularly addresses how they work, for whom do they work best, and which elements of the program are most important.
"The goal of this initiative was to increase community capacity to assist dually victimized families. This article focuses on the DV service organizations in the demonstration with regard to collaborations with other agencies and work within the DV system to respond to dually victimized families."
Danger Zone: Battered Mothers and Their Families in Supervised Visitation (pdf)
"This paper outlines research conducted at a supervised visitation center specifically for serving families where domestic violence was the primary reason for referral. The authors have classified their experiences based on these main subjects: battered women in supervised visitation, how battering continues during supervised visitation, how the rules of the supervised visitation center evolved during the first 18 months of implementation, the importance of well-trained visit monitors, and the need to include supervised visitation centers within a larger context of coordinated community responses to domestic violence."
Desk Reference for Recognizing and Responding to Domestic Violence
Outlines a helpful intervention approach with victims in the workplace. This tool is designed for Human Resources and Employee Assistance Professionals.
Developing Culturally-Relevant Responses to Domestic Abuse: Asha Family Services, Inc. (pdf)
A model program, Asha Family Services, Inc., is a comprehensive family violence intervention and prevention agency located in Milwaukee, WI. Asha, the first and only recognized culturally-specific family violence intervention and prevention program in Wisconsin, employs methods specific to African American families.
Developmental Status and Early Intervention Service Needs of Maltreated Children (pdf)
"In this report, published by the Institute for Social and Economic Development, the authors analyze findings from the National Early Intervention Longitudinal Study and the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being. They provide information about the developmental status and early intervention service needs of children under age three who are substantiated for maltreatment. Topics include: 1) the extent to which maltreated children have developmental problems or are subject to factors associated with poor developmental outcomes; 2) the services maltreated children might be eligible for and ones they receive through the child welfare systems; 3) case characteristics, such as child welfare setting, that impact the effect of developmental services; and 4) existing barriers to services."
Discharge Criteria for Batterer Programs
Clinical judgement typically plays a central role in the discharge of the patients from alcohol and mental health treatment. Batterer programs instead rely almost exclusively on program attendance to determine discharge. This paper uses a 10-item set of criteria to rate participants in a 13-week court mandated batterer program. It concludes with a discussion of methodological limitations, practical issues, and alternative applications of discharge criteria.
Do Batterer Program Length or Approach Affect Completion or Re-Arrest Rates? (pdf)
This study compared outcomes between defendants sentenced to two batterer programs in Brooklyn, New York. A literature review on batterer programs is presented followed by the research methodology. The findings suggest that neither underlying program philosophy nor program length alone predict either program completion or future violence.
This article examines the complexities of the question: "Do batterer's programs work?" It begins by exploring the word "works". It then scrutinizes published outcome data on the issue through various lenses of public debate on treatment effectiveness. It concludes with suggested policy and program directions for future interventions.
Domestic Violence Against Women and Girls (pdf)
"UNICEF's report discusses the scope and magnitude of the problem, causes and consequences of domestic violence, the socio-economic costs of violence, strategies and interventions, and state obligations with regard to domestic violence."
Domestic Violence and Children: A Children's Health Fund Report (pdf)
The author discusses domestic violence as a pediatric issue highlighting the number of children exposed to domestic violence each year and the consequences of such exposure.
Domestic Violence and Communities of Faith: An Information Packet (pdf)
This document provides a brief overview of how to recognize domestic violence in faith communities (mostly Christian), suggestions for intervention and resource guide.
Domestic Violence and Faith Based Communities: Focus on African American Communities
"We know that domestic violence crosses all racial lines and that the root causes are sexism and the acceptance of violence against women in society. However, the dynamics of and contributors to domestic violence are culturally specific. This forum highlights some of the common, complex and culturally specific contributors to violence against African American women. It addresses the role of faith as a resource and a roadblock and offer concrete ways in which faith communities can respond to and support abused women and their children in the African American Community. Hosted by: Aleese Moore-Orbih"
This paper is part of series of paper that addresses the way to mobilize community and programatic resources to provide responsive help to children and families affected both by domestic violence and poverty. This particular paper provides recommendations to family support staff and administrator to address issue of domestic violence.
Domestic Violence and Health Care
"This special collection on health care and domestic violence draws heavily from the work of the Family Violence Prevention Fund's Health Resource Center. The resources included in this special collection are organized into the following five areas: 1) the impact of domestic violence on health; 2) public health approaches to domestic violence prevention; 3) guidelines and issues concerning identification and intervention by health care providers; 4) information about collaboration between health care providers and domestic violence advocates; and 5) training. This special collection also includes a bibliography of related journal articles."
Domestic Violence and Sexual Violence in Minnesota: Strategies for Prevention and Intervention (pdf)
This planning tool addresses the issue of domestic and sexual violence as they relate to health care and public health in Minnesota.
The author looks at domestic violence among women on welfare, the impact on children who are exposed to violence in the home, and methods to increase the stability of marriages.
Domestic Violence as a Form of Child Abuse: Identification and Prevention
By looking at the ways child exposure to domestic violence manifests itself during the various stages of a child's life, the author documents ways to identify problems in exposed children and discusses specific intervention strategies.
Domestic Violence Counts 2009: A 24-Hour Census of Domestic Violence Shelters and Services
"A one-day report, documenting the number of adults and children seeking domestic violence services in the U.S., the types of services requested, the number of service requests that went unmet because of lack of resources, and the issues and barriers that domestic violence programs are facing as they strive to provide services to victims of domestic violence. Also provides a state by state summary of services requested and provided. "
This 2008 report contains data documenting the number of individuals who seek services in a 24 hour period, the types of services requested, the number of service requests that went unmet because of lack of resources, and the issues and barriers that domestic violence programs are facing as they strive tirelessly to provide services to victims of domestic violence. Also contains a state by state report on services requested and provided.
Domestic Violence Counts: NCDVS Census Report 2006
A 24-hour census of domestic violence shelters and services across the United States.
Domestic Violence Materials in Asian & Pacific Islander Languages (pdf)
A list of websites and weblinks containing domestic violence related resources in various Asian and Pacific Islander languages.
Domestic Violence Perpetrator Programs: What Counts as Success? (pdf)
This research briefing is an exploration of what we mean by "success" when speaking about Domestic Violence Perpetrator Programs. Women, men, practitioners and funders all contributed to this stage of the work.
Domestic Violence Perpetrators: Working with the Cause of the Problem
Respect has put together this document to make the case for increasing the work done with domestic violence perpetrators.
Domestic Violence Protocol for Law Enforcement (pdf)
This document, revised in 2012, provides guidelines and establishes standards for public safety call takers, dispatchers, first responders and investigators in handling domestic violence incidents. The Protocol seeks to interpret and apply statutory and case law relating to domestic violence incident response and investigation. Particular attention is given to protecting victims of domestic violence, including children, other members of the household, and pets, through enforcement of restraining orders, provision of medical care, and working with support agencies to provide alternate shelter, relocation services, counseling and legal services.
Dossier on Domestic Violence in Latin America and the Caribbean
"This publication includes a detailed balance of the work developed in Latin American and the Caribbean to eliminate violence against women. The objective of the publication is to have a tool that will help to design future activities in a more accurate way that take into account the economic, cultural and geographical women's reality of the Region in order to eliminate domestic violence. It also contains guidelines and recommendations for the future work on women’s rights for a life free of violence."
This is part of a series that was created through a collaboration of the Vermont Network Against Domestic and Sexual Violence, the Vermont Department for Children and Families and the Vermont Center for Crime Victim Services. Part VI discusses actual and perceived conflicts of interest when service providers act in more than one role or relationship, providing recommendations on how to address these dilemmas/questions.
DVERT Training CD and Lesson Plan
Video clips and lesson plan from the DVERT Training CD, a video-rich program that provides a clear and succinct overview of the principles and practices the DVERT collaboration follows in combating domestic violence.
Effective Intervention in Domestic Violence & Child Maltreatment Cases (Executive Summary)
This is an executive summary of the document "Effective Intervention in Domestic Violence & Child Maltreatment Cases: Guidelines for Policies and Practice." The aim of this document is to offer a more comprehensive set of responses to eliminate or decrease the enormous risks that individual battered mothers, caseworkers, and judges must take on behalf of children.
This document provides an overview of elder abuse including types of abuse, risk factors, and prevention and intervention strategies for individuals, families, and communities.
Elder Mistreatment: Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation in an Aging America
This full book link is provided courtesy of The National Academies Press. This is an online book and can be read in its entirety front to back, by chapter or skimmed by topic of interest. Published in 2002, this book details everything from the definitions and concepts of elder abuse to the public policy implications as well as to the types of interventions available for working with this population.
Emerging Responses to Children Exposed to Domestic Violence
"This document reviews the new research, policies, and programs focused on children who have witnessed adult domestic violence. It argues that the diversity of children’s experiences requires equally diverse responses from those who serve them."
Ending Gender-Based Violence: A call for global action to involve men
In this report, seven masculinity researchers write about masculinity in different parts of the world and about how masculinity is often linked to violence. These acts of violence are committed not only against women and children, but also against other men. The writers suggest a number of ways in which men can be involved in working to combat men’s violence.
Ending Violence Against Women: Programming for Prevention, Protection and Care (pdf)
"This handbook, intended primarily for development practitioners, provides practical points to consider when designing and implementing projects addressing violence against women. It is a collection of good practices drawn from ten case studies."
This VAWnet document presents the highlights of a guidebook that provides practical assistance and examples in designing and carrying out effective evaluation strategies specifically for domestic violence service providers. [Note: more than one format available.]
Evaluations of Advocacy Efforts to End Intimate Male Violence Against Women
This VAWnet paper describes the available research that has evaluated advocacy efforts to end intimate violence against women. The first section describes evaluation of Community Intervention Projects, while the second section presents a longitudinal and experimental evaluation of an advocacy intervention.
This paper was originally delivered as a talk at the Violence Institute of New Jersey, June 21, 2000. This paper discusses the links between the abuse of women and the maltreatment of their children and the connection between domestic violence and poverty.
Facilitating Savings and Asset Ownership Among Domestic Violence Survivors (pdf)
In May of 2011 The Center for Financial Security, the U.S. Department of the Treasury, and the Social Security Administration hosted the workshop "Exploring the Intersection Between Financial Literacy and Domestic Violence"
This article is an issue brief for one of the six presentations from the workshop. This particular articles addresses the need to assist women who have been in violent relationships to develop economic independence through asset building and savings.
The other presentation briefs are linked in MINCAVA as well, but to quickly access all six, you may also go to http://cfs.wisc.edu/events/DV_Workshop.aspx.
Facts & Stats: Domestic Violence in Asian, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Homes (pdf)
"Facts & Stats raises awareness about the experiences of Asian, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander battered women; counters denial about the problem; emphasizes the need for socio-culturally effective prevention and intervention; and serves to guide future research and inform public policy."
Family Team Conferences in Domestic Violence Cases: Guidelines for Practice (2nd Edition) (pdf)
These guidelines lay out steps to decide whether a family with a history of domestic violence is a good candidate for a Family Team Conference, and to prepare and conduct a conference that results in the best possible child welfare decision and safety for all. Case scenarios offer examples of different circumstances involving domestic violence and describe how an FTC, if planned and structured properly, can safely address case goals.
Family Violence Protocol Development
Practice paper from a series of papers for an initiative to provide technical assistance to state administrators and domestic violence advocates implementing the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (PRWORA) in TANF and child support enforcement (CSE) contexts. This initiative is a partnership between the National Resource Center on Domestic Violence (NRC) and the Administration for Children and Families, DHHS. This practice paper provides detailed guidance on developing family violence protocols for: the disclosure of domestic violence information; TANF/CSE program response to such disclosures; and the safe enforcement of child support when family violence may be a risk.
Family Violence- A National Legal Response Final Report (pdf)
This full Report by the Australian Law Reform Commission (ALRC) and the New South Wales Law
Reform Commission (the Commissions) sets out in detail the issues raised by the Terms of Reference, and the research and evidence base upon which the Commissions’ recommendations were formulated, including a thorough discussion of stakeholder views and the Commissions’ conclusions.
For an accessible overview of the policy framework and recommendations outlined in this two-volume final report, see Family Violence- A National Legal Response Summary Report.
Family Violence- A National Legal Response Summary Report (pdf)
This 76-page Summary Report provides an accessible overview of the policy framework and recommendations in the two-volume Final Report, Family Violence - A National Legal Response. It offers a consideration of the framework for the reform, including a description of the development of the key principles underpinning the 187 final recommendations. The recommendations are then considered as an expression of two principal themes—improving legal frameworks and improving practice, concluding with a summary of the net effect of the recommendations.
Family Violence: An Intervention Model for Dental Professionals (pdf)
Efforts to strengthen responses by health care professionals to family violence have increased dramatically in recent years. As a result, more health care providers are able to recognize the signs of abuse and assist patients who are victims. However, dental professionals appear to be the least likely of all clinicians to suspect and intervene in family violence, even though injuries to the head and neck are present in 60 percent or more of abuse cases. Although they may see abuse-related injuries during patient visits, dental professionals typically have not been trained to recognize the causes of these injuries or how to offer intervention and referrals to patients. This bulletin describes a training model that teaches dental professionals how to recognize symptoms and patterns of abuse, create a safe environment for disclosure, intervene appropriately, refer patients to appropriate services, and file mandatory reports. The bulletin also underscores the importance of including dental professionals in community efforts to coordinate response to family violence.
Financial Capability and Domestic Violence Prevention (pdf)
In May of 2011 The Center for Financial Security, the U.S. Department of the Treasury, and the Social Security Administration hosted the workshop "Exploring the Intersection Between Financial Literacy and Domestic Violence".
This article is an issue brief for one of the six presentations from the workshop. This particular article speaks to the importance of expanding financial education programs for survivors of domestic violence.
The other presentation briefs are linked in MINCAVA as well, but to quickly access all six, you may also go to http://cfs.wisc.edu/events/DV_Workshop.aspx.
Focus Groups of African-American Men: Perspectives on Addressing Domestic Violence
This study is the first step toward a larger, multi-site project that would obtain valuable information about how to help African-American men prevent or eliminate violence in relationships. The purpose of this paper is to identify realistic approaches by which African-American men can confront friends, neighbors, relatives, co-workers or strangers, who are African-American men who batter. What is unique about this study is that African-American men are the key informants.
This paper explores factors contributing to successful collaborations between practitioners and researchers studying the impact of adult domestic violence and the effectiveness of services aimed at stopping it. The paper identifies potential challenges to research partnerships and, through interviews with the researchers and practitioners from four successful collaborations, highlights strategies for effectively navigating these challenges. It concludes by arguing that collaborative partnerships between science and practice communities strengthen the process of scientific inquiry and program development.
Fuerza Unida: A Manual For Engaging Communities
"This attractive, user-friendly manual is a guide to understanding and working with Latino families experiencing domestic violence. Written primarily for government workers, nonprofit staff members, and other professionals working with Latino clients, it will benefit anyone seeking to relate effectively to our growing Latino communities."
Guidelines for Responding to the Co-occurrence of Child Maltreatment and Domestic Violence (pdf)
The purpose of these Guidelines is to provide direction to child protection staff when responding to situations in which child maltreatment and domestic violence are both occurring.
It profiles promising programs that address domestic violence at community health care organizations. This document is designed to encourage primary health care providers to treat domestic violence among their client base and to engage providers, administrators, policymakers and others in a coordinated, community-wide response to domestic violence.
"In this paper, the author will examine both the effectiveness of feminist therapy and its limitations when counseling immigrant and racially visible women who have been abused. The author will also describe the reality of domestic violence among these women and how their needs differ from women in the dominant culture. Strategies for a more inclusive form of feminist therapy will also be offered as alternatives to existing modes of practice and assessment."
Health Privacy Principles for Protecting Victims of Domestic Violence
Since women often interact with the health care system for routine or emergency care before they turn to law enforcement or other domestic violence services, health care professionals are in the unique position to identify abuse and intervene early on. This report discusses working with domestic violence advocates and service providers to respond to victims of domestic violence through screening, assessment, documentation, intervention, and referral.
Helping Children Cope with Violence: A School-Based Program That Works (pdf)
Violence is one of our most significant public health issues. Children exposed to violence frequently develop post-traumatic stress symptoms. They are more likely to have behavioral problems, poorer school performance, more days of school absence, and feelings of depression and anxiety. School officials are often willing to provide help at school. But these professionals face an important question: What works? There have been no randomized controlled trials of intervention effectiveness with which to answer this question. To fill this gap, a team of clinician-researchers from several institutions collaborated to develop, implement, and evaluate an intervention designed to help children traumatized by violence. The team included professionals from the RAND Corporation, the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA), and the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD).
Helping Children Exposed to Domestic Violence: Law Enforcement and Community Partnerships (pdf)
March 2001 report. Discusses law enforcement and community responses to children who have been exposed to domestic violence.
This 76-page resource is written for service providers assisting women who have survived woman abuse. Material addresses the needs of abused women as mothers, how abusive men parent, how abusive men affect family dynamics, effects of power and control tactics on mothers, the potential impact of woman abuse on children of different ages, and strategies used by young people to cope with violence in their homes. Guidance on parenting children who have lived with violence is also offered. Forty-four pages are designed as handouts for women, to be distributed as an adjunct to individual or group interventions on woman abuse or on parenting.
Helping Culturally Diverse Victims of Interpersonal Violence: Avoiding Stereotypes & Meetings Needs
"This forum discusses the need to take people's culture into account when providing them with services for interpersonal violence and avoiding the trap of treating people in a cookie-cutter way, based on stereotypes about their culture. This forum is hosted by Lisa Aronson Fontes, PhD. Lisa is a Core Faculty Member in Union Institute & University's Psy.D. Program in Clinical Psychology and has dedicated almost 20 years to making the social service and mental health systems more responsive to culturally diverse people."
Helping Traumatized Children at School
A paper that discusses school interventions for traumatized children. It provides some of the guidelines and resources for use when youth's traumas affect their ability to function at school.
Helping Traumatized Children: Tips for Judges (pdf)
"This fact sheet for judges and other court personnel outlines the impact of trauma on children's development, beliefs, and behaviors. It is designed to help professionals in the juvenile justice and family court system become more effective in addressing the unique needs and challenges of the traumatized children and adolescents they work with."
A screening tool designed to be used by professionals who are not TBI experts, but can assess for possible head trauma or injury resulting from domestic violence.
How to Write a Letter to the Judge for Victims of Rape, Domestic Violence and Child Abuse
Gives information that should help you write a more effective letter. Provides four examples of different kinds of letters you as a victim or victim advocate, may want to write to the judge in the criminal case. Also available in Spanish.
The guidelines offered here provide specific recommendations for screening and responding to domestic violence in child health settings, which provide a unique and important opportunity to screen for domestic violence and to educate parents about the impact of such violence on children. These guidelines also speak to the need for child health providers to engage in, model, and take leadership in delivering effective primary prevention of domestic violence, as well as other types of family and community violence, by highlighting violence prevention during well child and other routine visits, as a component of routine anticipatory guidance.
Implementing Intimate Partner Violence Screening in Family Planning Centers
This article describes the process of implementing and revising intimate partner violence screening in three large, urban family planning centers over a decade. Monitoring, research, and improvements to the process over the past decade are discussed along with future directions for research and practice.
"This Trainer's Manual was developed to help health care providers and domestic violence advocates meet the challenge of training clinicians and other staff within the busy clinic or hospital setting. The Manual provides step-by-step instructions for teaching each section of the Resource Manual including the basics of domestic violence, clinical skills, legal issues, community resources, and role play scenarios. It also includes a special module on cultural diversity."
This is a briefing paper prepared for a Wingspread Conference of a similar title. It discusses family violence, specifically against women and children, barriers to helping the victims, and the importance of collaboration to effect change.
Increasing Agency Accessibility for People with Disabilities: DV Agency Self-Assessment Guide (pdf)
The Coalition developed this tool specifically for domestic violence organizations to increase their program’s ability to work with people with disabilities. This self-assessment guide is intended to assist domestic violence programs in evaluating their accessibility to victims with disabilities in their community.
Information Sharing in Collaborative Relationship: Domestic Violence and Child Protection (pdf)
This series was created through a collaboration of the Vermont Network Against Domestic and Sexual Violence, the Vermont Department for Children and Families and the Vermont Center for Crime Victim Services. Part III provides general guidance and possibilities for policy development regarding information sharing between systems and presents avenues for effective inquiry where these issues intersect.
This report addresses API domestic violence intervention strategies within the U.S. as both accommodations and alternatives to mainstream domestic violence programs. They have adopted mainstream assumptions and approaches. And, they have crafted innovations based upon necessity and, in some cases, vision and intentionality. Emerging themes as discussed by the API women interviewed in this report highlight a number of areas which capture our attention for further exploration. While the findings of this report bring up broad, diverse and, at times, contradictory policies and practices among API programs, existing models, themes and interventions for the future programs are examined.
Interrupting the Cycle of Violence: Addressing Domestic Violence Through the Workplace
Ramsey County Initiative for Violence-Free Families and Communities has outlined steps corporations can take to address the issue of detecting domestic violence in the workplace.
Intervention for Men Who Batter: A Review of Research
This chapter appears in the book Understanding partner violence: Prevalence, causes, consequences and solutions, edited by S. Stith and M. Straus (1995). Minneapolis, MN: National Council on Family Relations.
Intervention Strategies with Child Maltreating Men (pdf)
This document outlines the importance of healthy parenting following child maltreatment and adds to our understanding of adult male maltreatment intervention by offering some important insights and actionable recommendations.
Intimate Partner Violence in Disadvantaged Neighborhoods (pdf)
This article discusses who is most at risk and details the role that economic policies and employment practices might play in reducing the risk of intimate violence.
Is Domestic Violence Screening Helpful? (pdf)
An article published by the Journal of the American Medical Association in which the author reviews the uncertainty in determining whether screening for domestic violence effectively works to the benefit of families.
It's in Our Hands: Stop Violence Against Women
This report investigates causes, forms, and remedies of violence against women, and highlights the responsibility of the state, community and individuals for taking action to end it.
"This study tested the effectiveness of two court-based intervention programs in California that addressed juvenile domestic and family violence. Primary findings from the study indicated recidivism rates for offenders with prior records were remarkably consistent across sites, the specialized intervention programs in both Santa Clara and San Francisco counties had a deterrent effect on first-time offenders, and the greatest determinant of the probability of recidivism was background characteristics of the offender."
This document introduces voices of battered immigrant, refugee and indegenious women who were also involved in Child Protection Services. The document explores how community approach can enhance the physical, spiritual and mental health of individuals, families and communities and how this concept can be well utilized for policy and practice for social services.
Learning to Listen, Learning to Help: Understanding Woman Abuse and Its Effects on Children (pdf)
A concise handbook for students and volunteers entering the helping professions, to prepare them to recognize and respond to families in which there is or was violence at home. Topics include background material on the dynamics of woman abuse, the concept of power and control, facts and figures, how to support women and help them find appropriate resources, how children are affected by violence, how children cope with violence at home, how to respond to child disclosure of abuse and neglect, standards of professional conduct, taking stock of your own attitudes, and suggestions for how you can make a difference to end violence.
Limits and Risks of Programs for Wife Batterers
This extensive and multi-part 1995 paper was assembled by the Montreal Men Against Sexism. Due to it's size (approx. 100 pages total), the Microsoft Word version will take some time to download.
Making a Difference: Strategic Communications to End Violence Against Women (pdf)
A toolkit for planning strategic communications to raise awareness about and combat gender-based violence around the world. It gives step-by-step information on developing a media campaign. Alternate version available in Russian.
"A study conducted through in-depth interviews with 71 women aged 18-49 who had a history of intimate partner violence. Findings include male reproductive control which encompasses pregnancy-promoting behaviors as well as control and abuse during pregnancy in an attempt to influence the pregnancy outcome. Recommendations include assessing for male reproductive control among women seeking reproductive health services, including antenatal care, so that health care providers may be able to provide education, care, and counseling to help women protect their reproductive health and physical safety."
Marital Rape (pdf)
This VAWnet report provides an overview of the research on marital rape with (1) a brief legal history of marital rape; (2) a discussion of the occurrence of marital rape;(3) a summary of the effects of marital rape; and (4) an analysis of practitioners' interventions with marital rape survivors.
Marital Rape: New Research and Directions
Provides an overview of the research on marital rape including a brief legal history of marital rape; a discussion of the occurrence of marital rape; a summary of the effects of marital rape; and an analysis of practitioners' intervention with marital rape survivors.
Men in the Movement to End Violence Against Women: Training and Education
"This collection highlights several training tools and background information for use in promoting men's involvement in the movement to end violence against women. Also included are educational materials to support the teaching of non-violence to boys and young men. It is one in a series of three special collections focusing on the domestic violence prevention and education efforts of men. "
Mobilizing Religious Communities to Respond to Gender-based Violence and HIV: A Training Manual (pdf)
The first in a series of two manuals aimed at raising awareness and educating religious leaders and communities about gender-based violence. The training manual equips religious communities with tools to deepen their awareness and understanding of gender-based violence and its link to HIV and proposes faith-based activities on the subject.
Model Protocol for Advocates Working with Battered Women Involved in the Child Protection System
This protocol includes policy and practice recommendations for advocates who work with battered women involved in the child protection system.
Model Protocol on Safety Planning for Domestic Violence Victims with Disabilities
The goal of this protocol and recommended policies is to support domestic violence agencies: to increase their safety planning services to people with disabilities and advance self-determination for people with disabilities by offering safety planning that is cognizant of environmental and social barriers. This protocol builds on the existing safety planning knowledge of domestic violence programs. Basic safety planning strategies will not be reviewed in this document.
Model Protocol on Working with Friends and Family of Domestic Violence Victims (pdf)
This protocol includes examples of programs that can engage friends and families in dealing with ending domestic violence.
Model Protocols on Working with Battered Women and Their Teenage Boys in Shelter
This model protocol is useful for domestic violence shelters who do not set age limits for male children in shelter. It is equally useful for those who critically examine safety of all children and women in shelter.
National Consensus Guildlines on Identifying and Responding to Domestic Violence Victimization
This document presents recommendations on how screening for domestic violence victimization, and assessment,documentation, intervention and referrals should occur in multiple settings, and in various professional disciplines. They do not however, address screening for perpetration.
NCEA Releases New Study on Abuse of Adults Age 60+ (pdf)
The 2004 Survey of Adult Protective Services, the most rigorous national study of state-level APS data conducted to date, offers important new insights into the troubling elder abuse problem.
New Resources on Domestic Violence for Home Visitation Programs
As part of a special Office on Women's Health funded initiative on maternal child health and violence called Project Connect: A Coordinated Public Health Initiative to Respond to Domestic and Sexual Violence (see more about Project Connect in this issue), the Family Violence Prevention Fund is releasing a curriculum on domestic violence for home visitors.
Nursing Education and Violence Prevention, Detection and Intervention (pdf)
This document presents an overview of the recent literature on the education of nurses in the area of violence prevention, detection and intervention. The goal is to inform educators, researchers and policy makers about gaps in educations services and areas of needed research.
Ohio Elder Abuse Task Force Report (pdf)
This report consists of recommendations, issues for future consideration, and implementation strategies for the prevention of elder abuse as a result of research done by the Ohio Elder Abuse Task Force.
Online Learning Tools on Violence Against Women
"This collection provides a sampling of available Online Learning Tools with subject matter related to violence against women prevention and intervention. The resources listed here can be used for the purposes of staff development (by individuals), or as tools for trainers (in groups).Many of the tools in this list offer Continuing Education Credits (CEUs) to fulfill licensure requirements for professionals in certain disciplines."
Operationalizing Accountability: The Domains and Bases of Accountability (pdf)
In this article, the authors focus on batterer accountability from a personal accountability standpoint. They created a working definition of accountability that was both theoretically sound and user friendly for participants. The authors concluded that learning how to be accountable in the domains of their daily life is important in facilitating their understanding of accountability in ways that will be useful to them in the future.
"This report documents good practices in preventing and responding to gender-based violence. The five case studies featured within document initiatives in Armenia, Romania,Turkey and the Ukraine that were implemented by governments and other partners with the support of UNFPA. Although the reports focus on initiatives in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, the practices and lessons learned can be applied throughout the globe."
Passport to Safety: Some Concluding Remarks
Under VAWA, gender-motivated violence is a form of sex discrimination and as such requires civil rights protection. In this concluding chapter the volume editors revisit salient issues and suggest strategies for multiagency coordination and cooperation.
Predictors of Program Outcome and Recidivism at the Bronx Misdemeanor Domestic Violence Court (pdf)
In this study, the authors examine cases in the Bronx for possible correlates of program mandate non-completion and recidivism. A literature review of domestic violence prevention and intervention programs is presented followed by the research study and outcomes.
Preventing Violence the Problem-Solving Way
April 1999 Juvenile Justice Bulletin- Analyzes intervention methods based on the hypothesis that behavior can be modified by focusing on thought processes rather than on behaviors.
Programming to Address Violence against Women (pdf)
"This is the second volume in a series that focuses on prevention and response tools for violence against women. The publication features eight case studies that highlight initiatives that have proven successful in combating violence against women: Algeria, Guatemala, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe. The UNFPA hopes to support current efforts in the eight case study countries and encourage other countries to take steps toward ending violence against women."
Progress of South Asian Women 2005 (pdf)
"The document presents a snapshot of women's situation in South Asia, an overview of the processes at work promoting the advancement of women, and identifies gaps during the period 2000–2005. Some of the challenges noted are disproportionate returns to contributions, the added "burden of care," a declining sex ratio, increased gender-based violence, trafficking of women and girls, and the spread of HIV/AIDS."
Promising Approaches: Working with Families, Child Welfare and Domestic Violence (pdf)
The purpose of this brochure is to provide a framework for mandated reporters to create family centered approaches when domestic violence is identified and to offer guidelines to assist mandated reporters to assess accurately and sympathetically, the impact of domestic violence on children and their families.
Promising Practices with Men Who Batter (pdf)
In this report to the King County Domestic Violence Council, the author provides a literature review of promising practices with men who batter, ranging from historical to current approaches. Key research findings on batterer intervention programs(BIP) are provided, including current concerns with BIPs. Finally, current gaps in services are identified and recommendations are given.
This document reviews the full faith and credit component of the 1994 Violence Against Women Act. It provides crucial information on orders of protection for law enforcement officers who play a significant role in stopping domestic violence. This project was supported by a Cooperative Agreement awarded by the Violence Against Women Grants Office, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice, to the International Association of Chiefs of Police.
Providing Services to Immigrant Women in Atlantic Canada (pdf)
"This article describes some of the findings of research conducted in 2005 and 2006, which found that being an immigrant was a factor not only in immigrant women’s experiences of violence in Atlantic Canada, but also in their access to support services. Immigrant women and the professionals who provide services to them describe some of the barriers they face and conclude that fully funded and coordinated prevention and intervention programs and services to immigrant women are needed in Atlantic Canada."
Psychological Abuse: A Discussion Paper (pdf)
"This paper is a review of research on psychological abuse in interpersonal and family relationships including in settings such as long-term care residences.The paper presents research findings on the personal, economic and health related costs of psychological abuse to the individual and to society, and briefly outlines legal recourses for victims. It concludes by exploring ways to recognize and address psychological abuse, while emphasizing the importance of developing holistic approaches "
Rationale for and Development of the Computerized Intimate Partner Violence Screen for Primary Care (pdf)
Computerized screening for intimate partner violence has the potential of overcoming significant barriers to routine screening in the primary care setting. Opportunities, challenges, and experiences with implementing a computerized intimate partner violence screen are described in this article.
Re-Examining ‘Battering’: Are All Acts of Violence Against Intimate Partners the Same? (pdf)
"This article differentiates among five categories of domestic violence by analyzing the dynamics, nuance and components of intimate partner violence, with the idea that this critical comprehension is vital in creating intervention and prevention models that befit the behavior. Grasping important differences in partner violence is crucial for researchers, practitioners and advocates for developing effective interventions for victims and perpetrators."
Responding to Domestic Violence: Where Federal Employees Can Find Help
This guide provides concise, up-to-date information on domestic violence, with concrete advice for the employee who are victims, for friends and co-workers, and for their supervisors. It also guides the supervisor through an array of resources and management tools that can be brought to bear in a workplace violence situation.
Responding to Violence and Abuse: Educating Minnesota Professionals for the Future
1995 report of four statewide task forces convened to review, revise and recommend violence education for nine professional areas (61 pages).
Restraining Order Violators, Corrective Programming and Recidivism (pdf)
Produced by the Massachusetts Trial Court - Office of the Commissioner of Probation in 2004. This document is the summarized results of a study regarding the ongoings of a domestic violence perpetrator/offender in the criminal courts. Highlights include, the relationship between victime and offender, batterer intervention programs, as well as other forms of treatment/management.
Safe From the Start: Taking Action on Children Exposed to Violence
This article, conceived from the National Summit on Children Exposed to Violence, presents an action plan that outlines principles for preventing and reducing the negative impact of children's exposure to violence.
Safe States, 2003 edition (pdf)
This document explains how state health department injury prevention programs apply the public health model every day, achieving results that reduce injuries and save tens of thousands of lives.
Safety Plan for a Friend, Relative, or Co-Worker Who Is Being Abused by an Intimate Partner (pdf)
This safety plan helps those who wish to provide support to someone in a domestic violence situation with the tools to do so in an effective way. Provides safety planning advice and resources.
Spouse Assault Replication Program: Studies of Effects of Arrest on Domestic Violence
"Reviews NIJ studies on arrest policies for misdemeanor domestic assault, an attempt to replicate the Minneapolis Domestic Violence Experiment (1984), which found that arrest was almost twice as effective as other police actions in preventing re-arrest."
Standards For Batterers Intervention Programs
Batterer Intervention Program in the Central Indiana Program, Certified by the Indiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence. A site dedicated to helping persons seek information, counseling and other resources which aim to intervene in both male and female batterers lives.
Stopping the Violence Against Women: The Movement from Intervention to Prevention (pdf)
This safety program report outlines the history of gender violence within the U.S. and offers suggestions for how to move beyond this problem towards prevention. Strategies for moving forward and a sample program are addressed.
Strategies to Improve Supervised Visitation Services in Domestic Violence Cases
This Violence Against Women Online Resources commissioned document describes the evolution of supervised visitation services for domestic violence cases, notes legal trends in these cases, describes practice concerns, and presents strategies to improve the safety of participants when supervised visitation, due to domestic violence, is court-ordered.
Substance Abuse and Intimate Partner Violence
This paper discusses the link between substance abuse(SA) and intimate partner violence(IPV), the co-occurrence of SA and IPV, highlight the special role of men’s drunkenness in IPV, examine substance abuse by victims, and briefly present issues related to coordination and integration of SA and IPV services.
Supporting Battered Mothers Protects Children: Reducing the Effects of Domestic Violence on Children (pdf)
This report was created in response to a request from the Chairman of the Missouri Children’s Services Commission, Representative Jeff Grisamore. It contains the latest research on the prevalence of child exposure to domestic violence and best practices in addressing this violence. The report also includes recommendations on how the state of Missouri can better meet the needs of children and mothers experiencing violence.
This report conceptualizes the Community Engagement Continuum in order to categorize a range of community based approaches in the anti-violence movement and to clarify the goals of engagement. The four points on the continuum--community outreach and education, community mobilization, community organizing, and community accountability--are defined by the level to which the strategies used lead to increases in the community's capacity to transform relations of power.
The Economic Dimensions of Interpersonal Violence (pdf)
This document examines the economic effects of interpersonal violence, including sexual violence, as well as the economic effects of interventions seeking to reduce violence and the ways in which economic factors such as poverty and income inequality contribute to violence.
The Greatest Escape: Special for Victims of Domestic Violence
Includes things to think about and resources for help as a survivor of domestic violence plans to leave their abusive relationship. Also available in Spanish.
The Impact of Conflict on Women and Girls in West and Central Africa and the UNICEF response (pdf)
"This first-of-its-kind study by UNICEF on the situation of war-affected girls and women in the region highlights innovative programmes being implemented with partners to address the impact of conflict, and recommends how UNICEF can more proactively champion the rights of girls - particularly adolescent girls."
Power to Change is a new European resource to help victims of domestic violence. It is a practical guide to running support groups and self-help groups with victims and survivors of domestic violence.
The Role of Restorative Justice in the Battered Women's Movement (pdf)
This article provides a comparison of the principles and practices of the restorative justice and battered women's movements. It provides an analysis and critique of each movement's response to domestic violence, and proposes an interpretation of what is effective, redemptive and liberating about the practices of each. Ultimately the paper provides suggested directions for future work within both fields.
The Safe Start Center Series on Children Exposed to Violence: Pediatric Care Settings (pdf)
This issue brief translates emerging research and program practice into action steps for practitioners in pediatric care settings to design and implement programs that meet the needs of children who are exposed to violence.
1998. Review of the literature on the causes of family violence to determine the current level of empirical support for the various theory-derived explanations and, by extention, the treatment programs derived from them.
Thinking About Homicide Risk: A Practice Framework for Counseling
This paper proposes a multi-systemic practice framework to help counselors assess for and respond to homicide risk in family violence contexts. The framework outlines the four main system domains that counselors may need to address: the client system; the therapeutic relationship; the organizational context; and the system of services.
This is a good introduction to advocacy concepts used when working with victims of intimate violence, rape and child abuse. It is designed for use both as a workshop outline and as a guide for direct interactions with individual clients.
Training Child Welfare Workers on Domestic Violence
Final Report, June 1998. In October of 1995, the Columbia University School of Social Work (CUSSW) was awarded funds to train public child welfare workers to understand and intervene appropriately with families where there was concurrent child abuse or neglect and woman abuse. This objective was accomplished by designing, implementing, and evaluating a competency-based training curriculum on domestic violence for direct service workers in the New York City Administrationm for Children's Services (ACS). The training curriculum was designed to impact worker's attitudes toward domestic violence, provide them with knowledge and skills for assessing domestic violence, and enhance their practice with families in which there is woman abuse. This paper is the final report CUSSW's project.
This article describes how a self-assessment of maternal and child health programs in a state health department led to a statewide training initiative on domestic violence, sexual assault, and reproductive coercion for family planning providers. Key training concepts, lessons learned, and future directions are discussed.
Understanding Children’s Exposure to Violence (pdf)
The Safe Start Center has developed a series of briefs on Children Exposed to Violence. The briefs are developed to respond to an urgent need to translate research-based information and disseminate it to practitioners who can use it in their work with children and families in different settings. This particular brief describes core concepts—gleaned from research and program practice—used in designing and implementing programs that address children’s exposure to violence.
This is currently the final publication in the series created through a collaboration of the Vermont Network Against Domestic and Sexual Violence, the Vermont Department for Children and Families and the Vermont Center for Crime Victim Services. Part VII reports on findings from a study investigating the number of children/youth in Vermont exposed to domestic violence, the effects of this exposure on their social/emotional development and mental health, services provided by domestic violence network and mental health programs, perceived barriers to providing these services, the training needs of service providers in Vermont and both strengths and gaps in the continuum of services for these children/youth.
This document is part I of a series created through a collaboration of the Vermont Network Against Domestic and Sexual Violence, the Vermont Department for Children and Families and the Vermont Center for Crime Victim Services. Part I describes the philosophy and structure of the "coordinated approach" as it impacts the three primary areas of services, training and policy. Lessons learned are highlighted.
Victim Services: Promising Practices in Indian Country (pdf)
This monograph describes promising practices for meeting the needs of victims of violence and domestic and family abuse in Indian Country. Each of the 12 program summaries includes a description of the program’s activities, keys to its success, basic demographic data (e.g., service area and population), and contact information.
The PIVOT Project of Aid to Victims of Domestic Abuse in Houston is participating in a multi-site battering intervention program evaluation being conducted by Edward Gondolf and funded by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This paper presents the view of collaborative research from the perspective of the program staff and what they learned from the process.
Violence Against Women - Synthesis of Research on Offender Interventions (pdf)
This report provides an overview of the latest research on interventions for men who assault women—wives, girlfriends, and acquaintances. The assaults may be physical or sexual, and they almost always involve psychological abuse. The overview begins with a description of the major components of current programs and then describes what is known about effective assessment and treatment methods. Several topics are covered that are often of interest to practitioners, including methods for enhancing treatment motivation, assessment of dangerousness, and culturally competent practice. The role of research in resolving controversial issues and the characteristics of sound evaluations are also discussed. Programs reviewed will be those commonly labeled as "social service," "treatment," and "psycho-educational," as opposed to purely criminal justice interventions.
Violence Against Women and Girls: A Compendium of Monitoring and Evaluation Indicators (pdf)
"This compendium offers a set of monitoring and evaluation indicators for program managers, organizations, and policy makers working to address violence against women and girls at individual, community, district and national levels in developing countries."
Violence in Families: Assessing Prevention and Treatment Programs
This is a full-text online book made available courtesy of The National Academies Press. This important book, published in 1998, details out chapter by chapter the different types of interventions to be utilized by different types of professionals, as well as makes recommendations.
Vision for services for children and young people affected by domestic violence (pdf)
Vision for services for children and young people affected by domestic violence offers a pathway for services for children experiencing domestic violence. This guidance offers a template which directors of children's services, cabinet members with lead responsibility for children and their local safeguarding children's boards, working with domestic violence partnerships can use to incorporate the needs of children experiencing domestic violence in planning children's services.
What About Me? Seeking to Understand the Child's View of Violence in the Family (pdf)
This study was funded by the National Crime Prevention Strategy in Ottawa. It involves an exhaustive review of the literature on child exposure to domestic violence (almost 400 sources) integrated with extensive clinical experience to create a revolutionary new framework for understanding, studying and intervening with children who have lived with woman abuse. Case studies illustrate key points and child drawings bring to life the experience of violence through young eyes.
This paper is part of series of papers that addresses the way to mobilize community and programatic resources to provide responsive help to children and families affected both by domestic violence and poverty. This particular paper addresses the way to offer support and safety for children while maintaining safety, autonomy and choide for battered women.
Working with Young Men Who Batter: Current Strategies and New Directions
This article offers an overview of the recent juvenile batterer intervention programs. It identifies risk factors for teen dating violence perpetration as described by the literature and considers the utility of these findings, describes efforts to prevent re-offenses by juvenile perpetrators of domestic violence, discusses several shortcomings inherent in post-crisis intervention, and outlines current challenges within the field.
Young Children Living with Domestic Violence: The Role of Early Childhood Programs (pdf)
This paper is part of series of paper that addresses the way to mobilize community and programatic resources to provide responsive help to children and families affected both by domestic violence and poverty. This particular paper highlights the rold of early childhood programs in supporting staff, community and state programs on behalf of the children and families affected by domestic violence.
This paper is part of series of paper that addresses the way to mobilize community and programatic resources to provide responsive help to children and families affected both by domestic violence and poverty. This particular paper addresses impacts of adult domestic violence to young children through developmental risk and resiliency.
This handbook contains information that will help you learn about: domestic violence and its impact on adolescents; evaluating risk and safety planning for victims of domestic violence; coordinated justice responses to domestic violence and the role of juvenile custody programs and probation; risk assessment and reduction with adolescent perpetrators of intimate partner and family violence; promising practices for adolescent perpetrators of intimate partner and family violence; and resources on domestic violence for adolescent victims and perpetrators.
Intimate partner rape
"This report provides an analysis of patterns of human rights abuses against women who are exposed to the risk of or are already living with HIV in rural contexts of widespread poverty and unemployment."
2008 Status of Egyptian Women Report (pdf)
"The Egyptian Center for Women's Rights recently released its 2008 report on the status of Egyptian women. The report evaluated the current situation for women in Egypt, identifying the particular areas where action is most urgently needed in order to advance women's rights within the country."
Addressing Gender-based Violence: UNFPA Strategy and Framework for Action (pdf)
This report, grounded in UNFPA's overarching goal of eliminating violence against women and girls, identifies particular areas where action is most urgently needed and proposes general policy frameworks for combating gender-based violence.
"This report indicates that persons who report having experienced IPV during their lifetimes also are more likely to report current adverse health conditions and health risk behaviors, underscoring the need for IPV assessment in health-care settings."
American Indians and Crime (pdf)
"Reports rates and characteristics of violent crimes experienced by Native Americans and summarizes data on Native Americans in the criminal justice system."
Offers information to health care providers and counselors on the importance of screening for reproductive coercion. Also offers a framework for assessing and responding to sensitive reproductive information.
Balancing Obligations: Serving Teen Victims and Mandated Reporting of Statutory Rape (pdf)
This issue brief addresses the importance of preserving confidentiality while working with teen victims of abuse, at the same time fulfilling the service provider's legal duties.
Before it Occurs: Primary Prevention of Intimate Partner Violence and Abuse (pdf)
Focusing on primary prevention and applying lessons learned from past successes, our chapter presents a framework for meaningful health sector involvement in initiating the environmental change necessary to stop intimate partner violence and abuse before it occurs.
Case Closed: Rape and Human Rights in the Nordic Countries Summary Report (pdf)
"A report analyzing the legal framework for handling rape cases in Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden. The report recommends legislative changes for each country’s rape laws to increase the number of successful rape prosecutions, and to bring the laws into compliance with international law and international human rights standards."
Costs of Intimate Partner Violence Against Women in the United States (pdf)
"Describes briefly the development of the requested study; presents findings for the estimated incidence, prevalence, and costs of nonfatal and fatal IPV; identifies future research needs; and highlights CDC's research priorities for IPV prevention."
Creating Safe Environments: Violence Prevention Strategies and Programs
This document addresses the increased need for specific primary prevention programs of various types of violence. Gang-violence, Sexual Violence, Adolescent and Adult Intimate Partner Violence, as well as others are addressed. Specific examples of promising programs and practices currently in existence throughout the United States are detailed.
Crime and the Nation's Households, 2003 (pdf)
"Presents national prevalence estimates for the percentage of households with one or more persons who were victimized by crime as measured by the National Crime Victimization Survey."
Crime and the Nation's Households, 2004 (pdf)
"Presents information on the percentage of households or persons in households who are victimized as measured by the National Crime Victimization Survey. Findings are presented by region; urban, suburban or rural location; and by household size."
Criminal Victimization, 2008 (pdf)
"The report includes data on violent crimes (rape/sexual assault, robbery, aggravated assault and simple assault), property crimes (burglary, motor vehicle theft and property theft), and personal theft (pocket picking and purse snatching), and the characteristics of victims of these crimes. The report also includes estimates of intimate partner violent crime and use of firearms and other weapons in the commission of violent crime overall."
Compiled by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, this page offers answers to frequently asked questions on common date rape drugs, how to identify them and the effects of each. Also offers useful tips on how to protect yourself from being a victim, and what to do if you've been drugged.
Date Rape: A Hidden Crime (pdf)
"This Australian report provides an overview of main issues underlying date rape including: incidence, difficulties in measuring extent; complicated issues around sexual consent; impact on victims; and, obstacles and options in prevention and treatment."
DID YOU KNOW YOUR RELATIONSHIP AFFECTS YOUR HEALTH? (pdf)
A tri-fold patient safety card which contains a checklist to assess safety, healthy/unhealthy relationships, and children's exposure to violence. The card also provides resources and information on how to get help.
DID YOU KNOW YOUR RELATIONSHIP AFFECTS YOUR HEALTH? (Spanish) (pdf)
A tri-fold patient safety card which contains a checklist to assess safety, healthy/unhealthy relationships, and children's exposure to violence. The card also provides resources and information on how to get help.
Domestic Violence Against Women and Girls
"Highlights issues of abuse; femicide; forced prostitution; sexual abuse of children; sex-selective abortion, female infanticide and differential access to food and medical care; and, traditional and cultural practices that affect women's health and lives."
Domestic Violence Against Women in Albania (pdf)
"This qualitative report examines the prevalence of domestic violence in Albania, including forms of domestic violence and complicating factors."
Drug-Facilitated Rape: Looking for the Missing Pieces (pdf)
"Describes rape-facilitating drugs and what is known about how often these drugs are used, efforts to reduce drug-facilitated rape, and specific strategies needed to respond including investigation policies and suggestions of future research."
Eliminating the Rape Kit Backlog
"This special online collection provides information to help victim service professionals engage in a multi-disciplinary dialogue about the issues and challenges involved with addressing the backlog of untested rape kits."
"Highlights the 2 most prevalent types of abuse in the lives of women and girls around the world: intimate partner violence and rape. Demonstrates how world-wide gender-based violence is a major public health concern, suggesting strategies to respond."
Extent, Nature, and Consequences of Intimate Partner Violence (pdf)
"Presents findings from the NVAW Survey on the extent, nature, and consequences of IPV in the US. The survey compares victimization rates among women and men, specific racial groups, Hispanics and non-Hispanics, and same-sex and opposite-sex cohabitants. "
Facts: Intimate Partner Violence for the World Report on Violence and Health
"Describes the global epidemic of IPV in the following categories: The Extent of the Problem; The Consequences of Intimate Partner Violence; What are the Risk Factors for Intimate Partner Violence?; & What Can be Done to Prevent Intimate Partner Violence?"
Handbook for legislation on violence against women (pdf)
Based on the work of an expert group meeting in Vienna, United Nations Division for the Advancement of Women of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs developed a Handbook for Legislation on Violence against Women. This Handbook intends to provide all stakeholders with detailed guidance to support the adoption and effective implementation of legislation which prevents violence against women, punishes perpetrators, and ensures the rights of survivors everywhere.
Health Care Costs Associated with Violence in Pennsylvania (pdf)
"Reports the impact of violence in Pennsylvania including interpersonal violence (homicide, aggravated assault, rape) domestic violence (partner, child and elder abuse) and self-directed violence (suicide and attempted suicide)."
Hispanic Victims of Violent Crime, 1993-2000 (pdf)
"Examines violent crimes committed against Hispanic victims including rape, sexual assault, robbery, and aggravated and simple assault. Crime victimizations are compared with those of four non-Hispanic groups: whites, blacks, American Indians, and Asians."
HIV Positive Women Report More Partner Violence (pdf)
The paper examines violence as a risk factor for HIV infection that must be addressed through multilevel prevention approaches.
How to obtain U Interim Relief: A Brief Manual for Advocates Assisting Immigrant Victims of Crime (pdf)
This manual provides U Visa information for advocates who assist victims of crime, including domestic violence. The author outlines the definition, requirements, and application process for U Visa Interim relief and also offers information on obtaining permanent residency and derivative status for family members.
Immigrant South Asian Women at Greater Risk for Injury From Intimate Partner Violence (pdf)
"Factors related to immigration may place South Asian immigrant women at increased risk for intimate partner violence. The purpose of the current study was to assess the relations between immigration-related factors and intimate partner violence among a sample of South Asian women residing in the United States."
Intimate or Childhood Sexual Abuse and Obesity in Kentucky
This study concluded that sexual abuse, whether experienced as an adult or child, was associated with a 32% increase in obesity among 4,391 women in Kentucky. The study also found that intimate partner violence and obesity are common health threats for women. The authors suggest that efforts to prevent physical and sexual abuse and mental health consequences of abuse on victims can have implications to improve women's health.
"This compilation includes existing tools for assessing intimate partner violence (IPV) and sexual violence (SV) victimization in clinical/healthcare settings. The purpose of this compilation is to provide practitioners and clinicians with the most current inventory of assessment tools for determining IPV and/or SV victimization and to inform decisions about which instruments are most appropriate for use with a given population. This document will aid in the selection of assessment instruments to identify victims requiring additional services. This can help practitioners make appropriate referrals for both victims and perpetrators. "
Inventory of Workplace Interventions Designed to Prevent Intimate Partner Violence (pdf)
This project was developed with the intention of subsequent information initiating continued evaluation of the impact of programs and their level of cost-effectiveness for companies. It is anticipated that the compiled statistics will benefit not only employees and their safety, but will provide guidance on the most effective use of time and money by the employers as well. RTI International researchers anticipate that this will be a helpful and important tool for both understanding and addressing intimate partner violence (IPV) and its impact on the workplace.
"A study conducted through in-depth interviews with 71 women aged 18-49 who had a history of intimate partner violence. Findings include male reproductive control which encompasses pregnancy-promoting behaviors as well as control and abuse during pregnancy in an attempt to influence the pregnancy outcome. Recommendations include assessing for male reproductive control among women seeking reproductive health services, including antenatal care, so that health care providers may be able to provide education, care, and counseling to help women protect their reproductive health and physical safety."
Male Survivors of Sexual Assault and Rape (pdf)
"This document provides an overview of the research on male survivors of sexual assault and takes a closer look at the role that communities have in addressing this issue."
Manual for estimating the economic costs of injuries due to interpersonal and self-directed violence (pdf)
"The manual provides a standardized set of recommendations to estimate the direct and indirect economic costs of interpersonal and self-directed violence."
Marital Rape (pdf)
This VAWnet report provides an overview of the research on marital rape with (1) a brief legal history of marital rape; (2) a discussion of the occurrence of marital rape;(3) a summary of the effects of marital rape; and (4) an analysis of practitioners' interventions with marital rape survivors.
Marital Rape: New Research and Directions
Provides an overview of the research on marital rape including a brief legal history of marital rape; a discussion of the occurrence of marital rape; a summary of the effects of marital rape; and an analysis of practitioners' intervention with marital rape survivors.
National Crime Victimization Survey Criminal Victimization, 2007 (pdf)
"Presents estimates of rates and levels of personal and property victimization for 2007 and describes the substantial fluctuations in the survey measures of the crime rates from 2005 through 2007. The report includes data on violent crimes (rape/sexual assault, robbery, aggravated assault and simple assault), property crimes (burglary, motor vehicle theft and property theft), and personal theft (pocket picking and purse snatching), and the characteristics of victims of these crimes."
Pregnancy coercion, intimate partner violence and unintended pregnancy (pdf)
In surveying females ages 16–29 years seeking care in five family planning clinics in Northern California, pregnancy coercion and birth control sabotage were found to be common among young women utilizing family planning clinics. In the context of partner violence, these findings are associated with increased risk for unintended pregnancy.
The findings from this second in a series of reports issued jointly by the National Institute of Justice and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention paint a picture of the violence against women as seen daily by emergency room, law enforcement, and court professionals.
In a two-year process,a multidisciplinary group of experienced prevention practitioners, stakeholders, advocates, and organizations formed a Prevention Steering Committee that conducted a statewide needs and resources assessment from which three goals were developed to prevent the first-time occurrence of intimate partner and sexual violence.
Michigan’s plan uses a public health approach to benefit the largest group possible and emphasizes building the capacity of individuals, organizations and systems to more effectively identify, implement, and evaluate prevention strategies, especially those that prevent first-time perpetration.
"This toolkit provides facts about emergency contraception for rape survivors, tools and strategies to assess the need for increased access, and four strategies to increase access. The four strategies discussed are legislation, administrative efforts, litigation and voluntary efforts. Samples, survivor stories and additional resources are also included."
Rape Myths (pdf)
This document looks at several articles that examine widely held prejudicial beliefs about rape, rape victims, and perpetrators and the role these myths play in justifying and perpetuating sexual violence.
Rape Prevention and Risk Reduction: Review of the Research Literature for Practitioners
"This Applied Research paper examines both single- and mixed-gender rape prevention and risk reduction programs, and provides suggestions for practitioners to design, implement, and evaluate programs."
"This bulletin provides information to help professionals understand the connections between literacy and sexual violence"
Refugee and Asylum Seeking Women Affected by Rape or Sexual Violence: a Literature Review (pdf)
"The review summarizes the learning from the Refugee Council Vulnerable Women’s Project and situates that learning within the wider context of what is known about rape and sexual violence. It provides a summary of evidence that is available about the prevalence of sexual violence against refugee women, and about access to justice in some of the countries from which the Project’s clients have fled."
"In 2002 RTI conducted an environmental scan to identify programs in the relatively new field of prevention of first-time perpetration of sexual violence. The current report provides updated information on 23 of the original 37 programs and adds information on 36 new programs that have been developed since the 2003 report. This report offers a catalog of programs targeting prevention of first-time male perpetration of sexual violence."
Resources Addressing the Perpetration of Sexual Violence
"This special collection provides resources that address the topics of sex offender risk, assessment, management, treatment, and supervision. In addition, there is a special focus on the policies that have been created in the past decade to help keep our communities safer."
Compiled by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, this page offers useful information on sexual assault, what to do if you've been sexually assaulted, and offers a list of resources for more information on this topic.
Sexual Violence Against Women: Impact on High-Risk Health Behaviors and Reproductive Health
"This Applied Research paper provides a brief overview of research on the impact of sexual violence on females' high-risk health behaviors and reproductive health, focusing on studies of sexual assault or rape experienced primarily during adulthood."
Silent Epidemic: A Survey of Violence Among Young Asian American Women
This report examines the impact of sexual violence, intimate partner violence and stalking on young Asian American women. The study also examines levels of awareness, prevalence, and access to services. It also addresses cultural and institutional barriers that Asian American victims of sexual violence, intimate partner violence and stalking may face.
Spousal Rape Laws 20 Years Later
Report that discusses the history of the spousal rape laws and what is recognized now.
"These Standards are presented as aspirational guidelines for the operation of legal service providers, pro bono legal service providers, and individual lawyers representing victims of domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking in civil protection order cases."
Substance Abuse and Intimate Partner Violence
This paper discusses the link between substance abuse(SA) and intimate partner violence(IPV), the co-occurrence of SA and IPV, highlight the special role of men’s drunkenness in IPV, examine substance abuse by victims, and briefly present issues related to coordination and integration of SA and IPV services.
Testing Justice The Rape Kit Backlog in Los Angeles City and County (pdf)
"A March 2009 report from Human Rights Watch revealed that 12,669 rape kits containing DNA and other evidence of rapes remain untested in the city and county of Los Angeles, California. The report highlights the nature and scope of the backlog, consequences of untested kits, and responses from professionals."
The Effects of Childhood Stress on Health Across the Lifespan
"This document summarizes the available research on childhood stress and its long-term consequences. Of particular interest is the stress caused by child abuse, neglect, and repeated exposure to intimate partner violence."
The Facts on Reproductive Health and Violence Against Women (pdf)
This fact sheet provides information and statistics on teen and adult unintended pregnancies, contraception use, sexually transmitted infections, and violence during pregnancy.
The Impact of Conflict on Women and Girls in West and Central Africa and the UNICEF response (pdf)
"This first-of-its-kind study by UNICEF on the situation of war-affected girls and women in the region highlights innovative programmes being implemented with partners to address the impact of conflict, and recommends how UNICEF can more proactively champion the rights of girls - particularly adolescent girls."
The Runaway & Homeless Youth and Relationship Violence Toolkit
This toolkit was developed by and for advocates in the runaway and homeless youth and domestic violence and sexual assault fields. Includes up to date research and resources as well as evaluation tools for programs providing services to youth.
The Sexual Victimization of College Women
This study contributes data to our understanding about the prevalence and nature of violence against women in the United States.
The Sexual Victimization of College Women (pdf)
Women attending colleges are at greater risk for rape and other forms of sexual assault than the general population or in another comparable age group. The study found that many women do not characterize their sexual victimization as a crime for a number of reasons including blaming themselves.The study reinforces the importance of many organizations’ efforts to improve education and knowledge about sexual assault.
This is a good introduction to advocacy concepts used when working with victims of intimate violence, rape and child abuse. It is designed for use both as a workshop outline and as a guide for direct interactions with individual clients.
Towards a Common European Framework to Monitor Progress in Combating Violence Against Women (pdf)
"Contains proposals for policies and indicators that could form the basis for a tool to monitor State progress in combating violence against women, as well as case studies of European initiatives that illustrate good practices."
Understanding National Rape Statistics (pdf)
"This Applied Research paper provides an overview of how estimates of sexual violence in the United States are produced, with particular emphasis on major sources of rape statistics at the national level."
Using Rapist Risk Factors to Set an Agenda for Rape Prevention
"This article briefly reviews the empirical research on the behaviors, traits, developmental experiences, and biological antecedents that have been found to be associated with an increased probability that a male will become sexually aggressive. It attempts to differentiate correlative and causative factors and to identify gaps in our knowledge that must be addressed to develop models of etiology on which to base effective prevention programs."
Violence Against Women: Classic Papers
The purpose of this project was to assemble some of the classic works in the field of violence against women so that new generations of students, practitioners, and researchers would have a collective understanding of the work that has shaped the field. Included are commentaries from the original authors, when available, reflecting on why they authored the work when they did and the influence of their work on the field.
"Compiles some U.S. BJS and FBI data on violence between people who have an intimate relationship: spouses, ex-spouses, and current and former boyfriends and girlfriends. Includes violent crimes of murder, rape, sexual assault, and simple assault."
Younger Women at Great Risk of Intimate Partner Violence
Summary of the new report, Intimate Partner Violence and Age of Victim, released by the U.S. Department of Justice's Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS).
Zero Tolerance: Stop the Violence Against Women and Children, Stop HIV/AIDS (pdf)
Violence is linked to HIV. Women who have experienced violence may be up to three times more likely to acquire HIV. In addition to behavioral risk factors, there are direct consequences of unprotected forced or coerced sex, and this is compounded by global HIV/AIDS policies that fail to take seriously the realities facing women and girls. Fear of violence can prevent women from seeking VCT, disclosing their serostatus, and receiving treatment when it is needed.
Intimate partner violence
Victim Advocate Guide: Intimate Partner Violence and Combat Experience (pdf)
This resource provides guidance on how to assess and respond to the heightened risk of severe violence, suicide, and homicide linked to the co-occurrence of combat trauma and Intimate Partner Violence.
(Un)heard Voices: Domestic Violence in the Asian American Community (pdf)
This publication is based on the results of a focus group with Asian immigrant women and Asian American women from different backgrounds. Various questions and issues are addressed such as identifying victims and perpetrators, prevalence of domestic violence in Asian communities, barriers confronting Asian women and more. The report also gives recommendations to service providers and a national list of organizations committed to serving battered Asian women.
15 Years of the United Nations Rapporteur on Violence against Women, Its Causes and Consequences (pdf)
This report reviews the status of violence against women as researched in 14 annual reports, 32 country mission reports, and 11 communication reports published as recently as December 2008. The report focuses on reproductive health and rights, poverty, migration, internally displaced persons (IDPs), women refugees, trafficking, aging, and adolescent girls. It also highlights how the mandate on violence against women has changed, what has been learned, and problems still to be addressed.
2008 Status of Egyptian Women Report (pdf)
"The Egyptian Center for Women's Rights recently released its 2008 report on the status of Egyptian women. The report evaluated the current situation for women in Egypt, identifying the particular areas where action is most urgently needed in order to advance women's rights within the country."
This report documents intimate partner violence (IPV) within lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and HIV-affected (LGBTQH) communities. It highlights the intricacies of IPV within LGBTQH communities, examines the barriers to safety for LGBTQH survivors, and outlines vital recommendations for responding to, preventing, and eradicating LGBTQH IPV.
File is large and may take a few minutes to download
2010 State Law Report Cards on Teen Dating Violence
A 2010 State-by-State Teen Dating Violence Report Card from Break The Cycle. Includes recommendations for improving state laws and policies to better protect victims, changes in the laws that affect teens experiencing abuse, and a revised scoring system that better assesses the impact of state laws on teens seeking protection orders.
2011 Minnesota Femicide Report (pdf)
The Minnesota Coalition for Battered Women (MCBW) tracks all homicides in the State of Minnesota that result from domestic violence involving a current or former intimate partner. This is the 2011 reporting of those findings.
52 Days of Domestic Violence Flu in America (pdf)
In this article, the author highlights that in the midst of public health concerns such as the swine flu, domestic violence is another pandemic that often goes unnoticed with majority of the fatalities involving men as the perpetrators of violence against women and children. The article concludes with a list of victims and their killers and serves as a reminder that domestic violence has been, and continues to be a concern for all to address.
A Comparison of Domestic Violence Advocacy Models (pdf)
This document contains a chart comparing domestic violence advocacy models and serves as a reference for effective advocacy for Latinas.
A Development Approach to Working with Teen Victims (pdf)
This issue brief discusses the need for service providers to understand adolescent development in order to effectively provide interventions for teen victims of abuse.
"This preliminary experiment tests whether African American and European American abused women who give testimony about their experiences of intimate partner violence and learn how to use yogic breathing techniques have reduced feelings of depression. Results indicate that learning yogic breathing techniques alone and combined with giving testimony significantly reduces feelings of depression. "
"This guidebook identifies key best practices to prevent and respond to sexual and intimate partner violence and stalking. It also provides short and long term action recommendations for colleges and universities to implement in four focused areas: preparedness, prevention, response and recovery."
ABA Commission on Domestic Violence eNewsletter on DV and Child Protection
An e-newsletter featuring articles from experts on the intersection of domestic violence and child protection.
Achieving Equity for Women: Policy Alternatives for the New Administration Symposium Report (pdf)
"This report summarizes the policy research symposium convened by the Institute for Women’s Policy Research and the Wellesley Centers for Women, held in Washington, DC on April 2, 2009. The symposium highlighted four policy areas in which public policy can work to improve the status of women in the United States: women and economic recovery; retirement, social security and aging; quality early care and education; and women and health care reform."
Additional Scripts for Clinic Assessment (pdf)
This document is created for healthcare professionals and provides a series of scripted questions and responses when working with victims of violence. The information is intended to help communicate all the information needed to give to a patient as well as responding to immediate safety issues and making referrals.
Addressing Gender-based Violence: UNFPA Strategy and Framework for Action (pdf)
This report, grounded in UNFPA's overarching goal of eliminating violence against women and girls, identifies particular areas where action is most urgently needed and proposes general policy frameworks for combating gender-based violence.
Advocacy Beyond Leaving: Helping Battered Women in Contact With Current or Former Partners (pdf)
A guide for domestic violence advocates providing information on improving outreach and responses to domestic violence victims who are in contact with their partners or children’s fathers. This guide addresses how to identify safety strategies, find resources and to know what to say when a victim’s focus and goals are to remain in contact, remain in the relationship or to improve their children’s relationship with their father.
AIDS Accountability Scorecard on Women 2009 (pdf)
"The first ever global scorecard analyzing country responses to the specific needs and vulnerabilities of women in the context of the AIDS epidemic. This independent assessment, developed through a comprehensive consultative process with global health experts and civil society representatives from across the world, evaluates data that all governments provide as part of the 2001 United Nations Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS."
"The purpose of this study was to learn how CPS can be more responsive to families experiencing domestic violence and child abuse and neglect; learn how domestic violence advocates can be more effective in helping clients to respond to allegations of or actual child abuse and neglect and CPS interventions; explore how community can be more responsive to partner abuse and child abuse and neglect and provide support to families involved with CPS; and experiment with a research design that accomplishes the first step of participatory research and at the same time empowers advocates and survivors."
Battered Women's Reports of Their Partner's and Children's Cruelty to Animals (pdf)
"This research study describes how abuse of pets is a method employed by batterers to control their partners, contributes to the impact on children exposed to violence, and may also be related to batterers' lethality."
Battered Women’s Protective Strategies
"This Applied Research paper adopts a holistic approach to understand battered women’s protective strategies, reviewing a wide range of strategies used by women to cope with numerous threats posed by battering, not just the threat of bodily harm."
Batterer Intervention Program Enrollment and Completion Among Immigrant Men in Massachusetts (pdf)
"This study describes immigrant clients enrolled in Massachusetts batterer intervention (BI) programs from 2002 to 2004. The study seeks to describe the immigrant men enrolled in Massachusetts BI programs, investigate whether immigrants were more or less likely to complete BI programs than were nonimmigrants, and investigate whether immigrants in non-English, culturally specific groups were more or less likely to complete BI programs than were immigrants in mainstream groups."
Breaking the Links Between Poverty and Violence against Women: A Resource Guide (pdf)
"This resource guide explores the ways in which poverty and violence are linked. It acknowledges the efforts of women’s groups, community organizations and service agencies that support low-income women to take control of and deal with the poverty and violence in their lives. Another area of focus is to inspire community-based groups to take action on poverty and violence issues by providing practical examples of what others are doing."
Breaking the Silence: A Training Manual for Activists, Advocates, and Latina Organizers (pdf)
"A guide for domestic violence service providers, activists, counselors and others focused on advancing the rights of battered immigrant women. Based on the FVPF's successful pilot project, the manual provides essential details on how to start organizing and maintaining a group of activists and counselors. This guide is also available in Spanish."
Breaking the Silence: A Training Manual for Activists, Advocates, and Latina Organizers (Spanish) (pdf)
"The first ever guide for domestic violence service providers, activists, counselors and others focused on advancing the rights of battered immigrant women. Based on the FVPF's successful pilot project, the manual provides essential details on how to start organizing and maintaining a group of activists and counselors. This guide is also available in English."
Bringing Domestic Violence Best Practices to New York’s Town and Village Courts (pdf)
The purpose of this document is to gain a deeper understanding of the domestic violence policies and practices implemented in New York’s rural town and village courts and to measure the impact of trainings on these practices.
Building Domestic Violence Health Care Responses: A Promising Practices Report (pdf)
"A new report that documents dramatic improvements in the health system’s response to domestic violence at Indian, Tribal and Urban health care facilities across the United States. It offers a series of recommendations to continue the progress and ensure that many more American Indian/Alaska Native domestic violence victims get the help that they need when they seek medical care at clinics and hospitals."
California Batterer Intervention Systems Study
This study on batterer intervention programs in the state of California encompasses 5 counties, 53 batterer intervention programs that provide client data, and over 1,000 men enrolled in those programs. The study found that the individual characteristics of the offenders, and not the program they were enrolled in nor the features of the specific court they were sentenced in, were the strongest predictors of outcomes.
Case Closed: Rape and Human Rights in the Nordic Countries Summary Report (pdf)
"A report analyzing the legal framework for handling rape cases in Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden. The report recommends legislative changes for each country’s rape laws to increase the number of successful rape prosecutions, and to bring the laws into compliance with international law and international human rights standards."
Child Witnesses to Domestic Violence: Summary of State Laws (pdf)
Currently, approximately 22 States and Puerto Rico address in statute the issue of children who witness domestic violence in their homes. This document is a summary of those laws. Quickly find statute information for a particular State, here- www.childwelfare.gov/systemwide/laws_policies/state/index.cfm
Chinese Lifetime Spiral of Gender Violence (pdf)
"Chinese translation of the Lifetime Spiral of Gender Violence. The spiral implicitly locates a range of abuses in the lives of girls and women, revealing patterns of victimization and perpetration. The Lifetime Spiral is designed to be used by everyone to identify histories of violence in their own lives or in the lives of family and friends."
Colonization and Violence against Women (pdf)
This article was created from the Proceedings from the National Summit on Domestic Violence in Asian and Pacific Islander Communities, which was held in June 2002. The article highlights various myths around the Asian and Pacific Islander cultures and colonization's role, as it relates to violence against women.
Community Corrections Response To Domestic Violence: Guidelines For Practice (pdf)
"This document provides a series of guidelines for community corrections professionals that support a proactive community supervision approach for domestic violence cases. It pulls together in one place for community corrections professionals and allied justice system and community-based services the conceptual information and practical tools to develop or enhance effective programs."
Community Engagement Curriculum Guide (pdf)
This training curriculum is based on a report from the API Institute on Domestic Violence titled "The Community Engagement Continuum: Outreach, Mobilization, Organizing and Accountability to Address Violence Against Women in Asian & Pacific Islander Communities".
Community Policing and Domestic Violence: Five Promising Practices (pdf)
This document provides a background and history of community policing and outlines promising practices in the area of collaboration between police and communities. Case studies from Chicago, Marin County, Duluth, and London are also presented.
"This is a client-centered tool for civil attorneys new to representing victims of domestic and dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking to provide comprehensive representation and advocacy for their clients."
Connecting the Dots: Children’s Exposure to Violence and Home Visiting Programs
The goal of this article, which is part of the Spring 2011 issue of Family Violence Prevention Fund's e-Journal: Family Violence Prevention and Health Practice, is to raise awareness and provide practical suggestions to bridge the disconnect between home visiting programs and addressing the needs of children exposed to domestic violence and their families.
Consequences of Childhood Exposure to Intimate Partner Violence
The findings presented in this report indicate that intimate partner violence has a significant and negative effect on externalizing child behavior, internalizing child behavior, general behavior problems, and drinking among children.
"Using data on 4,401 couples who participated in the National Family Violence Survey, this article reports modeling of cultural norms or other processes that could account for the link between corporal punishment and partner violence. Because corporal punishment of adolescents occurs in over half of U.S. families, the findings suggest that elimination of this practice can reduce some of the psychological and social processes that increase the likelihood of future marital violence and perhaps other violence as well."
Criminal Domestic Violence Case Processing: A Case Study of the Five Boroughs of New York City (pdf)
A study of the five boroughs of New York City in which domestic violence criminal case processing exist. The study seeks to establish what the policies and practices of the domestic violence courts are, to understand their underlying rationale, and to learn what the stakeholders perceive as their strengths and weaknesses.
Criminal Victimization, 2008 (pdf)
"The report includes data on violent crimes (rape/sexual assault, robbery, aggravated assault and simple assault), property crimes (burglary, motor vehicle theft and property theft), and personal theft (pocket picking and purse snatching), and the characteristics of victims of these crimes. The report also includes estimates of intimate partner violent crime and use of firearms and other weapons in the commission of violent crime overall."
This publication provides information about the use of cross-system dialogue to facilitate communication among representatives working in the domestic violence, child welfare, and court system. Strategies for professionals responding to family violence and child maltreatment are also provided.
Culture Handbook (pdf)
"This handbook is designed to be used by advocates and professionals who work with those who are victims of domestic and sexual violence. It provides some basic information on how to understand culture and begin the process of challenging oneself to become more aware of the ways in which culture impacts our work and the lives of those who are victims."
Danger Zone: Battered Mothers and Their Families in Supervised Visitation (pdf)
"This paper outlines research conducted at a supervised visitation center specifically for serving families where domestic violence was the primary reason for referral. The authors have classified their experiences based on these main subjects: battered women in supervised visitation, how battering continues during supervised visitation, how the rules of the supervised visitation center evolved during the first 18 months of implementation, the importance of well-trained visit monitors, and the need to include supervised visitation centers within a larger context of coordinated community responses to domestic violence."
Desk Reference for Recognizing and Responding to Domestic Violence
Outlines a helpful intervention approach with victims in the workplace. This tool is designed for Human Resources and Employee Assistance Professionals.
DID YOU KNOW YOUR RELATIONSHIP AFFECTS YOUR HEALTH? (pdf)
A tri-fold patient safety card which contains a checklist to assess safety, healthy/unhealthy relationships, and children's exposure to violence. The card also provides resources and information on how to get help.
DID YOU KNOW YOUR RELATIONSHIP AFFECTS YOUR HEALTH? (Spanish) (pdf)
A tri-fold patient safety card which contains a checklist to assess safety, healthy/unhealthy relationships, and children's exposure to violence. The card also provides resources and information on how to get help.
Distracted by Drama: How California Newspapers Portray Intimate Partner Violence (pdf)
"The publication describes the results of a study analyzing how violence is reported in two nationally prominent CA newspapers during the course of a year. Findings of the study are described in detail to reveal how contemporary reporting portrays IPV."
Do Batterer Program Length or Approach Affect Completion or Re-Arrest Rates? (pdf)
This study compared outcomes between defendants sentenced to two batterer programs in Brooklyn, New York. A literature review on batterer programs is presented followed by the research methodology. The findings suggest that neither underlying program philosophy nor program length alone predict either program completion or future violence.
Domestic Violence against Women (pdf)
"This briefing kit in Spanish provides concise information on violence against women (VAW) in Latin America and the Caribbean. It consists of fact sheets in easy-to understand language, and is aimed at parliamentarians to help them advance or amend legislation on VAW."
Domestic Violence Against Women and Girls (pdf)
"UNICEF's report discusses the scope and magnitude of the problem, causes and consequences of domestic violence, the socio-economic costs of violence, strategies and interventions, and state obligations with regard to domestic violence."
Domestic Violence Against Women in Albania (pdf)
"This qualitative report examines the prevalence of domestic violence in Albania, including forms of domestic violence and complicating factors."
Domestic Violence and Birth Control Sabotage: A Report from the Teen Parent Project
This study explores to what extent pregnancy among low income teens was due to coerced and unprotected sexual relations, sabotage of birth control arrangements and the general pressure to choose between having children and the continuation of the relationship
Domestic Violence and Children: Creating a Public Response (pdf)
The authors of this paper address children's exposure to domestic violence as a factor in healthy development. Research findings suggest that children who witness domestic violence are often unnoticed and underserved by other agencies in the community. Principles serving as a guiding framework for policy and service are outlined, as well as recommendations for communities and governmental bodies to help children experiencing domestic violence.
Domestic Violence and Faith Based Communities: Focus on African American Communities
"We know that domestic violence crosses all racial lines and that the root causes are sexism and the acceptance of violence against women in society. However, the dynamics of and contributors to domestic violence are culturally specific. This forum highlights some of the common, complex and culturally specific contributors to violence against African American women. It addresses the role of faith as a resource and a roadblock and offer concrete ways in which faith communities can respond to and support abused women and their children in the African American Community. Hosted by: Aleese Moore-Orbih"
Domestic Violence and Health Care
"This special collection on health care and domestic violence draws heavily from the work of the Family Violence Prevention Fund's Health Resource Center. The resources included in this special collection are organized into the following five areas: 1) the impact of domestic violence on health; 2) public health approaches to domestic violence prevention; 3) guidelines and issues concerning identification and intervention by health care providers; 4) information about collaboration between health care providers and domestic violence advocates; and 5) training. This special collection also includes a bibliography of related journal articles."
Domestic Violence and the Gay Community: A Right to Peace and Safety
An article on the myths and realities about domestic violence in the LGBT community. Also included is a list of resources for LGBT victims of domestic violence.
Domestic Violence Awareness Project: 2010 Resource Packet
The Domestic Violence Awareness Project strives to develop and distribute resources and ideas relevant to Domestic Violence Awareness Month and educational activities that take place throughout the year. The 2010 packet includes a collection of informational materials, fact sheets, articles, and order forms for items available from the various organizations represented on the Project Advisory Group, as well as other national, statewide, and culturally specific organizations. The packet is available on their website to download free of charge.
Domestic Violence Civil Protection Orders (CPOs) By State (pdf)
A chart that lists domestic violence civil protection orders (CPOs) by state.
Domestic Violence Counts 2008: A 24-hour census of domestic violence shelters and services
This report is the most recent data documenting the number of individuals who seek services in a 24 hour period, the types of services requested, the number of service requests that went unmet because of lack of resources, and the issues and barriers that domestic violence programs are facing as they strive tirelessly to provide services to victims of domestic violence. Also contains a state by state report on services requested and provided.
Domestic Violence Counts 2009: A 24-Hour Census of Domestic Violence Shelters and Services
"A one-day report, documenting the number of adults and children seeking domestic violence services in the U.S., the types of services requested, the number of service requests that went unmet because of lack of resources, and the issues and barriers that domestic violence programs are facing as they strive to provide services to victims of domestic violence. Also provides a state by state summary of services requested and provided. "
This 2008 report contains data documenting the number of individuals who seek services in a 24 hour period, the types of services requested, the number of service requests that went unmet because of lack of resources, and the issues and barriers that domestic violence programs are facing as they strive tirelessly to provide services to victims of domestic violence. Also contains a state by state report on services requested and provided.
Domestic Violence in Filipino Communities (pdf)
A fact sheet on domestic violence in the Filipino communities and includes a selected list of translated materials and resources in the Tagalog and Ilocano languages.
Domestic Violence in Hmong and Laotian Communities (pdf)
A fact sheet on domestic violence in the Hmong and Laotian communities and includes a list of translated materials in their respective languages.
Domestic Violence in Korean Communities (pdf)
A fact sheet on domestic violence in Korean communities and provides a selected list of translated materials and resources in Korean.
Domestic Violence in South Asian Communities (pdf)
A fact sheet with statistics on domestic violence in Bangladeshi, Bhutanese, Indian, Nepali, Pakistani, and Sri Lankan communities. Also includes a selected list of translated materials in Bengali, Gujrati, Hindi, Punjabi, Tamil, and Urdu languages.
Domestic Violence in Vietnamese Communities (pdf)
A fact sheet that provides statistics on domestic violence in Vietnamese communities, a selection of translated materials for victims and service providers, as well as directories for international resources.
Domestic violence laws in Australia
The report analyzes domestic violence legislation in all Australian States and Territories and in New Zealand in order to assist the Australian Government’s National Plan to Reduce Violence Against Women and their Children. The report notes gaps and overlaps between State and Territory domestic violence protection orders and the Family Law Act 1975.
Domestic Violence Materials in Asian & Pacific Islander Languages (pdf)
A list of websites and weblinks containing domestic violence related resources in various Asian and Pacific Islander languages.
Domestic Violence Perpetrators: Working with the Cause of the Problem
Respect has put together this document to make the case for increasing the work done with domestic violence perpetrators.
Domestic Violence Risk Assessment Bench Guide
"A research-based bench guide for use by Minnesota judges at all stages of family, Order for Protection, civil or criminal cases involving domestic violence."
Dossier on Domestic Violence in Latin America and the Caribbean
"This publication includes a detailed balance of the work developed in Latin American and the Caribbean to eliminate violence against women. The objective of the publication is to have a tool that will help to design future activities in a more accurate way that take into account the economic, cultural and geographical women's reality of the Region in order to eliminate domestic violence. It also contains guidelines and recommendations for the future work on women’s rights for a life free of violence."
Economic Stress and Domestic Violence
This Applied Research paper provides data on domestic violence rates across social classes, highlights the relationship between economic stress and domestic violence, and explores employment, social support networks, and weaknesses in social services. The paper concludes by discussing strategies that may simultaneously address the intersecting problems of financial distress and DV, including universal screening for DV, responses by employers, and collaboration among social service providers.
Elder Abuse: A Women’s Issue (pdf)
"This report brings together experts and organizations that work to combat the problem of elder abuse, sharing its many dimensions and complexities, how it affects women in a disproportionate manner, and seeking effective solutions."
Emerging issues in domestic/family violence research
"This paper presents an overview of the key emerging issues in Australian domestic and family violence research in the context of gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and intersex communities; the elderly; those with disabilities; people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds; Indigenous communities; homelessness; the impact on children; and issues around perpetrator programs."
Employment and Domestic Violence
"This special collection includes a categorized and selected listing of articles, bibliographies, fact sheets, laws and court action, papers, regulations, reports and surveys relating to domestic violence and employment. It is offered as an additional tool to assist advocates working on and interested in employment issues related to ending violence against women. "
Engaging Boys and Men in Gender Transformation: The Group Education Manual (pdf)
"This manual offers trainers an array of participatory experiential exercises to reach men (and their partners), exploring gender socialization and its impact on HIV prevention and care. Piloted in Ethiopia, Namibia, South Africa and Tanzania, the manual is designed to assist trainers in developing curricula to work with men and boys on gender, HIV and AIDS issues."
"This manual is designed to help violence prevention organizations hire an empowerment evaluator who will assist them in building their evaluation capacity through a learn-by-doing process of evaluating their own strategies. It is for state and local leaders and staff members of organizations, coalitions, government agencies, and/or partnerships working to prevent sexual violence, intimate partner violence, youth violence, suicide, and/or child maltreatment."
Extent, Nature, and Consequences of Intimate Partner Violence (pdf)
"Presents findings from the NVAW Survey on the extent, nature, and consequences of IPV in the US. The survey compares victimization rates among women and men, specific racial groups, Hispanics and non-Hispanics, and same-sex and opposite-sex cohabitants. "
Facilitating Savings and Asset Ownership Among Domestic Violence Survivors (pdf)
In May of 2011 The Center for Financial Security, the U.S. Department of the Treasury, and the Social Security Administration hosted the workshop "Exploring the Intersection Between Financial Literacy and Domestic Violence"
This article is an issue brief for one of the six presentations from the workshop. This particular articles addresses the need to assist women who have been in violent relationships to develop economic independence through asset building and savings.
The other presentation briefs are linked in MINCAVA as well, but to quickly access all six, you may also go to http://cfs.wisc.edu/events/DV_Workshop.aspx.
Facts & Stats: Domestic Violence in Asian, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Homes (pdf)
"Facts & Stats raises awareness about the experiences of Asian, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander battered women; counters denial about the problem; emphasizes the need for socio-culturally effective prevention and intervention; and serves to guide future research and inform public policy."
Facts About Intimate Partner Strangulation (pdf)
A recent fact sheet created by the Minnesota Coalition for Battered Women as part of a statewide training for law enforcement officers, prosecutors, and advocates titled the Anatomy of Strangulation.
Family and Intimate Partner Homicide Virginia, 2007 (pdf)
The first report to analyze fatal cases of intimate-partner and family violence in the state of Virginia over a nine-year period. Risk factors, specific populations, and other findings are discussed.
Family Violence Death Review Committee First Annual Report (pdf)
The Family Violence Death Review Committee's overarching goal is to contribute to the prevention of family violence and family violence deaths in New Zealand. The report outlines the objectives and achievements for the first year as well as goals and recommendations for the following year.
Family Violence Risk Assessment and Risk Management Framework (pdf)
Developed by independent experts and Victorian service providers, the framework includes three practical guides on identifying and assessing family violence, and includes case studies.
Farsi Lifetime Spiral of Gender Violence (pdf)
Farsi translation of the Lifetime Spiral of Gender Violence. It locates a range of abuses and abusers in the lives of girls and women, revealing patterns of victimization and perpetration.
Final Report on the project entitled: Animal Welfare and Domestic Violence (pdf)
"This study assesses animal maltreatment in samples of women seeking safety at shelters and community samples of women. Women in shelter were much more likely (54%) to report partners' hurting or killing of their pets than women not in shelter (3.5%)."
"This study estimated the frequency and correlates of intimate partner violence by type (physical, sexual, battering, or emotional abuse) among women seeking primary health care. Efforts to universally screen for partner violence and to effectively intervene to reduce the impact of such violence on women’s lives must be a public health priority."
Georgia Domestic Violence Fatality Review Report (pdf)
The Report analyzes single-victim homicides and near-deadly assaults, provides strategies for ending domestic violence, and spotlights communities that have successfully implemented recommendations from previous reports.
Good practices in legislation on violence against women (pdf)
This report comes from an expert group meeting organized by the United Nations Division for the Advancement of Women and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. The purpose of the expert group meeting was to analyze different legislative approaches for addressing violence against women; assess lessons learned and identify good practices in regard to legal reforms on violence against women; and develop a model framework for legislation on violence against women. The outcome of the meeting is intended to assist States and other stakeholders in enhancing existing, and developing new, legislation on violence against women.
Handbook for legislation on violence against women (pdf)
Based on the work of an expert group meeting in Vienna, United Nations Division for the Advancement of Women of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs developed a Handbook for Legislation on Violence against Women. This Handbook intends to provide all stakeholders with detailed guidance to support the adoption and effective implementation of legislation which prevents violence against women, punishes perpetrators, and ensures the rights of survivors everywhere.
Health Care Costs Associated with Violence in Pennsylvania (pdf)
"Reports the impact of violence in Pennsylvania including interpersonal violence (homicide, aggravated assault, rape) domestic violence (partner, child and elder abuse) and self-directed violence (suicide and attempted suicide)."
Helping Culturally Diverse Victims of Interpersonal Violence: Avoiding Stereotypes & Meetings Needs
"This forum discusses the need to take people's culture into account when providing them with services for interpersonal violence and avoiding the trap of treating people in a cookie-cutter way, based on stereotypes about their culture. This forum is hosted by Lisa Aronson Fontes, PhD. Lisa is a Core Faculty Member in Union Institute & University's Psy.D. Program in Clinical Psychology and has dedicated almost 20 years to making the social service and mental health systems more responsive to culturally diverse people."
A screening tool designed to be used by professionals who are not TBI experts, but can assess for possible head trauma or injury resulting from domestic violence.
Here's Where We Start (pdf)
This booklet informs men of the extent of sexual and domestic violence and provides them with concrete ideas on how they can become part of the solution for ending these crimes. It outlines steps men can take to change the social norms that support sexual and domestic assaults.
This summary reports on the key findings of research carried out by the National Union of Students between August 2009 and March 2010. Research concerned women students’ experiences of harassment, financial control, control over their course and institution choices, stalking, violence, and sexual assault.
In this article, which is part of the Spring 2011 issue of Family Violence Prevention Fund's e-Journal: Family Violence Prevention and Health Practice, Dr. Megan Bair-Merritt provides an overview of what we know about the impact of home visiting programs on IPV. She begins by describing how intimate partner violence (IPV) affects children’s heath, and includes the latest research on home visitation interventions to address IPV. The article concludes with five recommendations for translating research into policy and best practices.
How To Integrate Assessment for Violence and Reproductive Coercion Into Clinical Practice (pdf)
A resource for healthcare providers which outlines points to train staff working with victims of violence and reproductive coercion.
How to obtain U Interim Relief: A Brief Manual for Advocates Assisting Immigrant Victims of Crime (pdf)
This manual provides U Visa information for advocates who assist victims of crime, including domestic violence. The author outlines the definition, requirements, and application process for U Visa Interim relief and also offers information on obtaining permanent residency and derivative status for family members.
Immigrant Women and Domestic Violence
This special collection highlights the common experiences of immigrant women who are in abusive relationships, the legal protections and public benefits available, and practices and suggestions for increasing the effectiveness of services provided to immigrant women.
Impact of Intimate Partner Violence on Economic Well-Being (pdf)
In May of 2011 The Center for Financial Security, the U.S. Department of the Treasury, and the Social Security Administration hosted the workshop "Exploring the Intersection Between Financial Literacy and Domestic Violence".
This powerpoint is from one of the six presentations from the workshop. This particular presentation discusses the many facets of
economic abuse as a result of intimate partner violence (IPV).
The other presentation briefs are linked in MINCAVA as well, but to quickly access all six, you may also go to http://cfs.wisc.edu/events/DV_Workshop.aspx.
Impact of the Law on Service to Teens (pdf)
This issue brief discusses the challenges that laws at the state and federal level pose, how they can impact the way service providers serve teens and how teens respond to adult interventions. Suggested strategies are given for programs and agencies working to serve teen victims of abuse.
Implementing Intimate Partner Violence Screening in Family Planning Centers
This article describes the process of implementing and revising intimate partner violence screening in three large, urban family planning centers over a decade. Monitoring, research, and improvements to the process over the past decade are discussed along with future directions for research and practice.
"This Trainer's Manual was developed to help health care providers and domestic violence advocates meet the challenge of training clinicians and other staff within the busy clinic or hospital setting. The Manual provides step-by-step instructions for teaching each section of the Resource Manual including the basics of domestic violence, clinical skills, legal issues, community resources, and role play scenarios. It also includes a special module on cultural diversity."
Information about Murder-Suicides (pdf)
A fact sheet created by the Minnesota Coalition for Battered Women as part of a statewide training for law enforcement officers, prosecutors, and advocates titled the Anatomy of Strangulation.
Interpersonal and Physical Dating Violence among Teens (pdf)
This Focus Report from the National Council on Crime and Delinquency finds that girls exposed to interpersonal violence are more likely to be exposed to other forms of violence, show a greater propensity for unsafe sexual activity, and a higher incidence of substance abuse and suicide than either boys or non-abused girls. The report also offers recommendations for primary prevention programs.
Interpersonal violence and alcohol (pdf)
This report by the World Health Organization presents research on the relation between alcohol and violence. It suggests that alcohol is a situational determinant which increases the risk of most types of violence. Hazardous and harmful use of alcohol has also been shown to be an important consequence of experiencing or witnessing most forms of violence, but especially child maltreatment and intimate partner violence.
Interpersonal Violence and Women With Disabilities: A Research Update
"This article provides an update on what researchers have learned during the past ten years about abuse and women with disabilities and offers some perspectives on the state of current research and its implications for future studies and advocacy efforts."
Intimate or Childhood Sexual Abuse and Obesity in Kentucky
This study concluded that sexual abuse, whether experienced as an adult or child, was associated with a 32% increase in obesity among 4,391 women in Kentucky. The study also found that intimate partner violence and obesity are common health threats for women. The authors suggest that efforts to prevent physical and sexual abuse and mental health consequences of abuse on victims can have implications to improve women's health.
Intimate Partner Homicide Prevention
This Special Collection explores the most tragic consequence of domestic violence and offers a variety of tools and information towards its prevention. The collection outlines the scope of the problem, provides tools and strategies for assessing danger, resources and much more.
This resource was developed by VAWnet and the National Resource Center on Domestic Violence, with contributions from the Battered Women’s Justice Project, Washington State Coalition Against Domestic Violence, Florida Coalition Against Domestic Violence, and Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence.
"This document describes intimate partner violence (IPV) in immigrant and refugee communities in the United States. The report contains four main sections: background information on the incidence of the problem among immigrant and refugee communities, an overview of the needs and challenges of immigrant and refugee IPV victims and service providers, recommendations for funders, service providers and policy-makers, and lastly a discussion of IPV research and evaluation issues to be addressed in immigrant and refugee communities."
Intimate Partner Violence, Technology, and Stalking
"This research note describes the use of a broad range of technologies in intimate partner stalking, including cordless and cellular telephones, fax machines, e-mail, Internet-based harassment, global positioning systems, spy ware, video cameras, and online databases. The concept of “stalking with technology” is reviewed, and the need for an expanded definition of cyberstalking is presented. Legal issues and advocacy-centered responses, including training, legal remedies, public policy issues, and technology industry practices, are discussed."
Intimate Partner Violence: High Costs to Households and Communities (pdf)
A report on the cost of intimate partner violence (IPV) in Bangladesh, Morocco and Uganda. These three countries were specifically studied because they have high rates of IPV and their governments recently began to address this problem through new programs and laws. The researchers found that most women did not utilize services after experiencing IPV. The study concluded that IPV imposes huge direct costs on women and service providers in all three countries, including health, justice, police, local traditional authorities and social services, and indirect costs on women and families through lost wages and lower productivity.
Jewish Perspectives in Domestic Violence (word)
"In this paper, the author proposes different ideas relevant to Judaism in regard to domestic violence, offers Jewish precepts and texts, raises current problems for Jewish battered women, describes Jewish programs working to eliminate domestic violence, makes known Jews in the movement/field, cites Jewish Domestic Violence cases, and concludes with Creating Rituals and Blessings."
Korean Lifetime Spiral of Gender Violence (pdf)
"Korean translation of the Lifetime Spiral of Gender Violence. The spiral implicitly locates a range of abuses in the lives of girls and women, revealing patterns of victimization and perpetration. The Lifetime Spiral is designed to be used by everyone to identify histories of violence in their own lives or in the lives of family and friends."
Latina Cultural Context and Advocacy (pdf)
This document is designed for advocates working with Latina victims of domestic violence. It is intended to help inform advocates of the cultural contexts through which Latina victims see their world, in order to provide culturally informed services.
Leave or Stay?: Battered Women's Decision After Intimate Partner Violence
"Using data from the Domestic Violence Experience in Omaha, Nebraska, a discrete-time hazard model was employed to examine a woman's decision to leave or stay based on four factors: financial independence, witness of parental violence, psychological factors, and the police response to the domestic violence call."
Making a Difference: Strategic Communications to End Violence Against Women (pdf)
A toolkit for planning strategic communications to raise awareness about and combat gender-based violence around the world. It gives step-by-step information on developing a media campaign. Alternate version available in Russian.
"This manual was published by Transforming Communities, a California-based organization creating sustainable community-based approaches to preventing violence against women and girls. The authors provides a step-by-step approach to understanding how cost-benefit thinking can be applied to domestic violence prevention in order to persuade funders and policy makers of the need for programs. Contents include descriptions of specific prevention programs and their impact using a cost-benefit perspective, as well as guidance in building tools to strengthen and justify your prevention program to obtain funding and support."
"This report provides extensive research of the mail-order bride industry in the United Kingdom. The industry is linked to the promotion of trafficking, prostitution, pornography and slavery. The report suggests that this industry not only exploits vulnerable groups of women but also reinforces racial and ethnic stereotypes. Recommendations are given on what the government can do to further protect women."
"A study conducted through in-depth interviews with 71 women aged 18-49 who had a history of intimate partner violence. Findings include male reproductive control which encompasses pregnancy-promoting behaviors as well as control and abuse during pregnancy in an attempt to influence the pregnancy outcome. Recommendations include assessing for male reproductive control among women seeking reproductive health services, including antenatal care, so that health care providers may be able to provide education, care, and counseling to help women protect their reproductive health and physical safety."
Male Victims of Domestic Violence: A Substantive and Methodological Research Review (pdf)
"This paper explores claims of gender symmetry in intimate partners' use of violence by reviewing the empirical foundations of the research and critiquing existing sources of data on domestic violence. "
Meeting Survivors' Needs: A Multi-State Study of Domestic Violence Shelter Experiences
This study provides important insights into the role that shelters play in survivors' efforts to escape violence and abuse. Results capture the voices and experiences of over 3,400 shelter residents in 215 programs across eight states. The website includes links to the press statement announcing the study's release, the Research in Brief, the Executive Summary, and the full report.
Men in the Movement to End Violence Against Women: Training and Education
"This collection highlights several training tools and background information for use in promoting men's involvement in the movement to end violence against women. Also included are educational materials to support the teaching of non-violence to boys and young men. It is one in a series of three special collections focusing on the domestic violence prevention and education efforts of men. "
Mexico: Amnesty International Submission to the UN Universal Periodic Review
An Amnesty International report submitted to the United Nations Human Rights Council in February 2009. The report highlighted problems in the area of violence against women, in particular, the prevalence of domestic violence in Mexico and the femicides in Ciudad Juarez along the U.S.-Mexican border.
Mobilizing Communities to Prevent Domestic Violence
"This Applied Research document provides an overview of the research on community mobilization to prevent domestic violence, explores guiding concepts and frameworks, and discusses the challenges of implementing community mobilization strategies."
Mobilizing Religious Communities to Respond to Gender-based Violence and HIV: A Training Manual (pdf)
The first in a series of two manuals aimed at raising awareness and educating religious leaders and communities about gender-based violence. The training manual equips religious communities with tools to deepen their awareness and understanding of gender-based violence and its link to HIV and proposes faith-based activities on the subject.
Model Protocol on Service Animals in Domestic Violence Shelters (pdf)
"This document provides basic information about the use of service animals, the laws that apply to domestic violence shelters and service animals, and suggested policies and procedures for domestic violence shelters regarding service animals."
Myths and Facts about Domestic Violence (pdf)
This document lists some common myths about the nature and causes of domestic violence.
National Crime Victimization Survey Criminal Victimization, 2007 (pdf)
"Presents estimates of rates and levels of personal and property victimization for 2007 and describes the substantial fluctuations in the survey measures of the crime rates from 2005 through 2007. The report includes data on violent crimes (rape/sexual assault, robbery, aggravated assault and simple assault), property crimes (burglary, motor vehicle theft and property theft), and personal theft (pocket picking and purse snatching), and the characteristics of victims of these crimes."
National Directory of Domestic Violence Service Programs Offering Services in Spanish
A comprehensive and well organized directory of domestic violence service providers throughout the nation who offer various services in Spanish.
National Trends in Intimate Partner Homicides: Explaining Declines in Canada, 1976 to 2001
"In the past decade, research has begun to identify factors that may be contributing to declines in spousal homicide. The authors address two gaps in the Canadian literature: (a) the documentation of trends, including subgroup variations, and (b) the identification of factors that may be associated with declines. Results indicate that shifts in relative employment and divorce rates appear to be associated with declining rates for women, whereas shifts in men's education and divorce rates appear to be associated with declining rates of spousal homicide for men."
New York City Domestic Violence Fatality Review Committee Annual Report 2008 (pdf)
This report describes family-related homicides that occurred in New York City between 2002 and 2007. Includes key findings, risk factors, and action steps in response to findings.
New York State Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence Fall 2010 Bulletin (pdf)
In the latest issue of the NY State Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence's (OPDV) quarterly newsletter, topics include Domestic Violence and Suicide, Media Coverage of Domestic Violence, Legislative Update, Model Guidelines for College Campuses, and LGBT Curriculum update.
New York State Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence Winter 2010 Bulletin (pdf)
In the latest issue of the NYS Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence's (OPDV) quarterly newsletter, topics include the use of technology in stalking, predicting reabuse and murders of intimate partners, and training events happening around the state.
Not Enough: What TANF Offers Family Violence Victims (pdf)
Based on a national survey of service providers, this report is a comprehensive effort to understand when TANF successfully assists victims of family violence, and when the program falls short.
Operationalizing Accountability: The Domains and Bases of Accountability (pdf)
In this article, the authors focus on batterer accountability from a personal accountability standpoint. They created a working definition of accountability that was both theoretically sound and user friendly for participants. The authors concluded that learning how to be accountable in the domains of their daily life is important in facilitating their understanding of accountability in ways that will be useful to them in the future.
Overcoming Domestic Violence: A Global Challenge (pdf)
"The project is part of the World Council of Churches' decade on Overcoming Violence. The report contains seven chapters, beginning with the author’s recommendations from the project. The rest of the chapters place domestic violence within an international human rights framework, discuss domestic violence’s roots, its effects on development, relevant international law milestones, practical strategies culled from project experiences around the world, and the importance of monitoring development projects to ensure women’s full participation."
"This report documents good practices in preventing and responding to gender-based violence. The five case studies featured within document initiatives in Armenia, Romania,Turkey and the Ukraine that were implemented by governments and other partners with the support of UNFPA. Although the reports focus on initiatives in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, the practices and lessons learned can be applied throughout the globe."
Patrick Stewart: the legacy of domestic violence
In this article, the actor describes how he regularly saw his father hit his mother and how the horrors of his childhood experiences remained with him throughout his adult life.
"This report includes a discussion of primary prevention of intimate partner violence, promising approaches to environmental/norms change, an examination of IPV primary prevention within immigrant communities, recommended actions to building momentum for primary prevention of IPV, and immediate next steps. The report is designed as a catalyst and call to action, to give a sense of direction and raise some issues for consideration."
"This special collection includes a categorized and selected listing of articles, fact sheets, papers, reports and surveys. It is offered as an additional tool to assist advocates working on and interested in poverty and how it relates to ending violence against women."
Power and Control Wheel (Spanish) (pdf)
The power and control wheel was developed by battered women in Duluth, specifically for men who use violence against their female partners. A Spanish version is now available, called Poder Y Control.
Predictors of Program Outcome and Recidivism at the Bronx Misdemeanor Domestic Violence Court (pdf)
In this study, the authors examine cases in the Bronx for possible correlates of program mandate non-completion and recidivism. A literature review of domestic violence prevention and intervention programs is presented followed by the research study and outcomes.
Pregnancy coercion, intimate partner violence and unintended pregnancy (pdf)
In surveying females ages 16–29 years seeking care in five family planning clinics in Northern California, pregnancy coercion and birth control sabotage were found to be common among young women utilizing family planning clinics. In the context of partner violence, these findings are associated with increased risk for unintended pregnancy.
Prevalence and Determinants of Intimate Partner Abuse Among Public Hospital Primary Care Patients (pdf)
"The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence, sociodemographic determinants, and depression correlates of intimate partner abuse among an ethnically diverse population of women patients."
Prevalence of Intimate Partner Violence Against Women in Regions of Brazil (pdf)
"This article analyzes the results from the 'WHO Multi-country Study on Women’s Health and Domestic Violence,' on the prevalence of intimate partner violence against women in Brazil."
Prevalence of Intimate Partner Violence Among an Abortion Clinic Population
"A cross-sectional clinic based study that estimated the prevalence of intimate partner violence among patients who had elective abortions. The study concluded that abortion patients experience high intimate partner violence rates, indicating the need for targeted screening and community-based referral."
Preventing and Responding to Teen Dating Violence
This special collection emphasizes collaborative and multilevel approaches to the prevention of, and response to, teen dating violence. It draws on the work of many organizations and organizes the resources on TDV prevention and responses by different populations.
In a two-year process,a multidisciplinary group of experienced prevention practitioners, stakeholders, advocates, and organizations formed a Prevention Steering Committee that conducted a statewide needs and resources assessment from which three goals were developed to prevent the first-time occurrence of intimate partner and sexual violence.
Michigan’s plan uses a public health approach to benefit the largest group possible and emphasizes building the capacity of individuals, organizations and systems to more effectively identify, implement, and evaluate prevention strategies, especially those that prevent first-time perpetration.
Problem-Oriented Guides for Police - Domestic Violence (pdf)
Domestic disputes are some of the most common calls for police service. This guide discusses domestic disputes that involve violence, as well as the measures that can be used to reduce them. This is an essential tool for law enforcement to help analyze and respond to their local problem.
Programming to Address Violence against Women (pdf)
"This is the second volume in a series that focuses on prevention and response tools for violence against women. The publication features eight case studies that highlight initiatives that have proven successful in combating violence against women: Algeria, Guatemala, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe. The UNFPA hopes to support current efforts in the eight case study countries and encourage other countries to take steps toward ending violence against women."
Progress of South Asian Women 2005 (pdf)
"The document presents a snapshot of women's situation in South Asia, an overview of the processes at work promoting the advancement of women, and identifies gaps during the period 2000–2005. Some of the challenges noted are disproportionate returns to contributions, the added "burden of care," a declining sex ratio, increased gender-based violence, trafficking of women and girls, and the spread of HIV/AIDS."
Promising Practices with Men Who Batter (pdf)
In this report to the King County Domestic Violence Council, the author provides a literature review of promising practices with men who batter, ranging from historical to current approaches. Key research findings on batterer intervention programs(BIP) are provided, including current concerns with BIPs. Finally, current gaps in services are identified and recommendations are given.
Promoting gender equality to prevent violence against women (pdf)
"The World Health Organization has released a briefing highlighting the importance of the role gender plays in interpersonal violent situations, community- and school-based initiatives to empower women, the role of the media in altering gender norms, and the importance of engaging with men to combat violence against women. The briefing is one of an eight-part series on how to prevent interpersonal and self-directed violence."
Providing Services to Immigrant Women in Atlantic Canada (pdf)
"This article describes some of the findings of research conducted in 2005 and 2006, which found that being an immigrant was a factor not only in immigrant women’s experiences of violence in Atlantic Canada, but also in their access to support services. Immigrant women and the professionals who provide services to them describe some of the barriers they face and conclude that fully funded and coordinated prevention and intervention programs and services to immigrant women are needed in Atlantic Canada."
Punjabi Lifetime Spiral of Gender Violence (pdf)
"Punjabi translation of the Lifetime Spiral of Gender Violence. The spiral implicitly locates a range of abuses in the lives of girls and women, revealing patterns of victimization and perpetration. The Lifetime Spiral is designed to be used by everyone to identify histories of violence in their own lives or in the lives of family and friends."
Re-Examining ‘Battering’: Are All Acts of Violence Against Intimate Partners the Same? (pdf)
"This article differentiates among five categories of domestic violence by analyzing the dynamics, nuance and components of intimate partner violence, with the idea that this critical comprehension is vital in creating intervention and prevention models that befit the behavior. Grasping important differences in partner violence is crucial for researchers, practitioners and advocates for developing effective interventions for victims and perpetrators."
Refugee and Asylum Seeking Women Affected by Rape or Sexual Violence: a Literature Review (pdf)
"The review summarizes the learning from the Refugee Council Vulnerable Women’s Project and situates that learning within the wider context of what is known about rape and sexual violence. It provides a summary of evidence that is available about the prevalence of sexual violence against refugee women, and about access to justice in some of the countries from which the Project’s clients have fled."
Reproductive Justice & Violence Against Women: Understanding the Intersections
"The purpose of this special collection is to provide resources and an introduction to reproductive justice, focusing particularly on the connections between the elimination of reproductive oppression and domestic and sexual violence."
This document, comprised of research from many leading experts in the field of domestic violence, lays out the case that the majority of high conflict child custody disputes have a history of domestic violence.
Resource Guide for Advocates & Attorneys on Interpretation Services for Domestic Violence Victims (pdf)
This document provides guidelines from the Interpretation Technical Assistance and Resource Center that focus on court interpretation for domestic and sexual violence victims with limited English proficiency. These guidelines inform how advocacy, interpretation, and language access can be integrated.
Restorative Justice and Intimate Partner Violence (pdf)
This Applied Research document discusses the role of victims within restorative justice, reviews the research on restorative justice, and discusses the potential harms and benefits of using restorative justice in cases of intimate partner violence.
Ruling Offers a New Protection to Victims of Assault in Minnesota (USA)
The Minnesota Supreme Court published a ruling that an individual may now be charged with the serious crime of burglary if they enter their former partner's home to commit a crime, even if they have an ownership interest in the home. This ruling provides a new type of protection for victims who do not have an active order for protection against former partners.
Safety Plan for a Friend, Relative, or Co-Worker Who Is Being Abused by an Intimate Partner (pdf)
This safety plan helps those who wish to provide support to someone in a domestic violence situation with the tools to do so in an effective way. Provides safety planning advice and resources.
Safety Planning With Teens (pdf)
An issue brief created by Break the Cycle for those working with teens on safety planning issues.
Scope of the Problem: Domestic Violence in Asian, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Homes (pdf)
This document provides information on the prevalence rates of domestic violence in the API communities, unique dynamics in families, socio-cultural barriers in getting help, and highlights the need for ethnic diversity and culturally competent programs.
Self-reported Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Data Brief (pdf)
"Summarizes intimate partner and sexual violence victimization from three different Minnesota surveys and one national survey."
Sexual Violence against Asian, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Women (pdf)
This document provides guidelines for advocates on various points of intersection of domestic and sexual violence in the API communities.
Shattered Lives: Homicides, Domestic Violence and Asian Families (pdf)
This report focuses on domestic violence related homicides as a critical issue affecting Asian, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander battered women since 2001. Types of domestic violence related homicides, children as victims, and perpetrator types are discussed. Findings and recommendations are also provided.
Silence is Violence: End the Abuse of Women in Afghanistan (pdf)
A new United Nations (UN) report on women in Afghanistan that focuses on the growing trend of violence and threats against women in public life and rape/sexual violence. The report concludes that these forms of violence are a huge occurrence in the everyday lives of Afghan women and the government has a crucial role in helping to eradicate these harmful practices towards women.
Social Worker's Practice Guide to Domestic Violence (pdf)
A guide created by the Department of Social and Health Services, for social workers working with domestic violence issues in the state of Washington. Includes information on how social workers should work with victims and perpetrators, child assessment of exposure to violence, as well as legal and policy issues in the state.
Stalking and Domestic Violence Report to Congress (pdf)
"This report to Congress is part of an ongoing commitment to share information about strategies that show promise in the field and about the development of laws addressing stalking. It is produced in response to Subtitle F of VAWA, which directs the U.S. Attorney General to submit a report on these issues. The report includes information on cyberstalking, victim needs, law enforcement responses to stalking, and a bibliography."
"These Standards are presented as aspirational guidelines for the operation of legal service providers, pro bono legal service providers, and individual lawyers representing victims of domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking in civil protection order cases."
State of World Population 2008 Reaching Common Ground: Culture, Gender, and Human Rights (pdf)
"This report gives an overview of the conceptual human rights frameworks as well as the practice of development, looking at the everyday events that make up people’s experience of development. The report presents some of the challenges and dilemmas of culturally sensitive strategies and suggests how partnerships can address them. The focus is on discussing and showcasing how culturally sensitive approaches are critical for the realization of human rights in general and women’s rights in particular."
Status of Girls in Illinois (pdf)
This report addresses a wide spectrum of areas affecting Illinois girls’ lives, including sexuality, violence, incarceration, substance abuse, health, education and physical fitness.
Full report is linked. Executive summary can be found at http://www.steansfamilyfoundation.org/pdf/SOG_Executive_Summar.pdf
Stories from Women with Disabilities
Real stories from women with disabilities. Each of them has survived abuse. Some talk about how they were abused by a parent or family member, others tell about abuse by a partner or husband, or by someone else. Some women already had a disability when they were abused, while for others, the abuse caused a disability.
Surveillance for Violent Deaths -- National Violent Death Reporting System, 16 States, 2005
"This report summarizes data from CDC's National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS) regarding violent deaths from 16 U.S. states for 2005. Results are reported by sex, age group, race/ethnicity, marital status, location of injury, method of injury, circumstances of injury, and other selected characteristics."
Tagalog Lifetime Spiral of Gender Violence (pdf)
"Tagalog translation of the Lifetime Spiral of Gender Violence. The spiral implicitly locates a range of abuses in the lives of girls and women, revealing patterns of victimization and perpetration. The Lifetime Spiral is designed to be used by everyone to identify histories of violence in their own lives or in the lives of family and friends."
"This report documents important curricular developments in American legal education: the integration of domestic violence into the law school curriculum."
"This free advanced domestic violence curriculum outlines safely preparing for and managing effective meetings, engaging parents around domestic violence issues, assessing the impact of children’s exposure to domestic violence, and making decisions and plans to increase safety for children and battered mothers."
Technological Safety for Domestic Violence Survivors
"Technological tools such as phones, computers, and searchable databases are being used to monitor, harass, and threaten current or former intimate partners. This forum will explore the safety risks and benefits of technology and cover areas of confidentiality, co-location, and data sharing. The host for this forum is Anzala Alozie. Anzala is the Director of Services at the New York State Coalition Against Domestic Violence and provides management of the statewide Domestic & Sexual Violence Hotline, Women of Color Leadership, Economic Justice, Technology Safety, and Training projects."
Technology and Teen Dating Violence (pdf)
This issue brief explains the ways technology can be used as tools of abuse. It offers tips to providers working on safety planning with teens experiencing abuse.
Telling It Like It Is: Teen Perspectives on Romantic Relationships (pdf)
This brief summarizes findings from focus groups that explored what teens have to say about romantic relationships. In general, the teens displayed an understanding of what a healthy teen relationship should look like, yet at the same time they expressed low expectations about their chances of experiencing that type of relationship themselves. Findings indicate that factors such as relationship violence and few adult role models who displayed healthy relationships contributed to these low expectations.
The Crossing Borders Self-Assessment Guide (pdf)
"A tool kit for doing the "inside work" within programs to strengthen and expand services for immigrant survivors of domestic violence."
The Danger Assessment is a tool that was developed to help determine the level of danger an abused woman has of being killed by her intimate partner. There are two parts to the tool: a calendar and a 20-item scoring instrument. The original danger assessment is available in English, Spanish, Portuguese and French (Canadian).
The Economic Dimensions of Interpersonal Violence (pdf)
This document examines the economic effects of interpersonal violence, including sexual violence, as well as the economic effects of interventions seeking to reduce violence and the ways in which economic factors such as poverty and income inequality contribute to violence.
The Facts about Domestic Violence
This fact sheet provides current information and statistics on domestic violence. Information includes a working definition, exploration of how different communities are affected by domestic violence and legal protections for victims of domestic violence.
The Facts On Teen Dating Violence (pdf)
A fact sheet created by FVPF on the prevalence and consequences of teen dating violence.
The Future of the Grave Risk Of Harm Defense in Hague Cases
This article discusses the future of the grave risk of harm defense in Hague Convention international child abduction cases. It provides an interpretation of the Hague Convention in the traditional view as well as in the context of domestic violence. Examples of court rulings are provided which evaluated the nature of abuse and the likelihood of legal protection in the country to which the children are being returned.
The Health Costs of Violence: Measuring the burden of disease caused by intimate partner violence (pdf)
"Summary of a study conducted to assess the health impact of intimate partner violence on women."
"This article provides an overview of the current recommendations for HIV testing and counseling and IPV screening and discusses issues germane to providing services to persons at risk for both HIV and IPV. The article concludes with considerations for practice and policy."
Power to Change is a new European resource to help victims of domestic violence. It is a practical guide to running support groups and self-help groups with victims and survivors of domestic violence.
The Role of Men and Boys in Achieving Gender Equality (pdf)
A United Nations report that recognizes eliminating violence against women through the promotion of gender equality. The report outlines obstacles men and boys face in this struggle and identifies ways in which they can be involved in preventing violence against women.
The Runaway & Homeless Youth and Relationship Violence Toolkit
This toolkit was developed by and for advocates in the runaway and homeless youth and domestic violence and sexual assault fields. Includes up to date research and resources as well as evaluation tools for programs providing services to youth.
The Social Construction of Wife Abuse: Experiences of Asian Indian Women in the United States
"The terms wife abuse and battered woman were coined in the 1970s. Although such naming is meaningful, these social constructions are restrictive so that only a narrow range of behaviors and people fit these labels. With the help of interviews with Hindu Asian Indian immigrants, this article highlights the importance of including the experiences of diverse groups of women in any analysis of domestic violence. The study challenges the popular perception of abused women, specifically South Asian battered women, as passive victims."
The State of the World's Children 2009 Report
"The State of the World's Children 2009 examines critical issues in maternal and newborn health, underscoring the need to establish a comprehensive continuum of care for mothers, newborns and children. The report outlines the latest paradigms in health programming and policies for mothers and newborns, and explores policies, programmes and partnerships aimed at improving maternal and neonatal health. Africa and Asia are a key focus for this report, which complements the previous year's issue on child survival."
The Use of Expert Testimony on Intimate Partner Violence (pdf)
"This Applied Research paper presents an overview of the uses of expert testimony, the qualifications and roles of experts, the literature on the use of testimony on the effects of battering, and considerations for future research."
The VAWA Manual: Immigration Relief for Abused Immigrants (pdf)
Manual on the preparation, filing and processing of applications pursuant to the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). Also includes detailed information on Special Immigrant Juvenile Status for Children Under Juvenile Court Jurisdiction, and U and T Non-Immigrant Visas (Victims of Crime and Trafficking). A good resource for advocates and legal professionals working with these victims.
This document takes some time to download, especially with a slow connection.
The VAWA Manual: Immigration Relief for Abused Immigrants, Index of Appendices 1-100 (pdf)
Contains a list of appendices in connection with The VAWA Manual: Immigration Relief for Abused Immigrants.
The VAWA Manual: Immigration Relief for Abused Immigrants, Index of Appendices 101-200 (pdf)
Contains a list of appendices in connection with The VAWA Manual: Immigration Relief for Abused Immigrants.
The VAWA Manual: Immigration Relief for Abused Immigrants, Index of Appendices 201-300 (pdf)
Contains a list of appendices in connection with The VAWA Manual: Immigration Relief for Abused Immigrants.
The VAWA Manual: Immigration Relief for Abused Immigrants, Index of Appendices 301-380 (pdf)
Contains a list of appendices in connection with The VAWA Manual: Immigration Relief for Abused Immigrants.
Transforming the National AIDS Response: Advancing Women’s Leadership and Participation (pdf)
"The second in a series of resource guides dedicated to highlighting strategies for incorporating gender equality and women’s rights into national HIV and AIDS responses. This publication discusses various approaches for advancing women’s leadership and meaningful participation of HIV-positive women in the AIDS response."
Traumatic Brain Injury and Domestic Violence: Understanding the Intersections
"This Special Collection offers information about the intersection between domestic violence and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). It provides advocates and other professionals with tools to screen for TBI within the context of domestic violence as well as presentations, articles, and other relevant resources on the topic. "
U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics Special Report, Intimate Partner Violence (pdf)
"This DOJ Report has data on IPV based on estimates from the NCVS. This report is often cited for the finding that intimate partner victimization rates were significantly higher for people living in rental housing vs. those living in their own homes."
Understanding Financial Literacy with Survivors of Intimate Partner Violence (pdf)
In May of 2011 The Center for Financial Security, the U.S. Department of the Treasury, and the Social Security Administration hosted the workshop "Exploring the Intersection Between Financial Literacy and Domestic Violence".
This article is an issue brief for one of the six presentations from the workshop. This particular articles discusses the importance of financial literacy for survivors of intimate partner violence (IPV) as an avenue for reaching economic empowerment.
The other presentation briefs are linked in MINCAVA as well, but to quickly access all six, you may also go to http://cfs.wisc.edu/events/DV_Workshop.aspx.
Understanding National Rape Statistics (pdf)
"This Applied Research paper provides an overview of how estimates of sexual violence in the United States are produced, with particular emphasis on major sources of rape statistics at the national level."
Update of the 'Battered Woman Syndrome' Critique
"This Applied Research paper reviews the definition, evolution, and utilization of “battered woman syndrome” in the courts and offers a critique of its framework and its use."
Using Rapist Risk Factors to Set an Agenda for Rape Prevention
"This article briefly reviews the empirical research on the behaviors, traits, developmental experiences, and biological antecedents that have been found to be associated with an increased probability that a male will become sexually aggressive. It attempts to differentiate correlative and causative factors and to identify gaps in our knowledge that must be addressed to develop models of etiology on which to base effective prevention programs."
VAWnet Mini-Special Collection: Supporting the Women of Haiti
"This collection includes initiatives supporting relief efforts in Haiti, especially those focused on delivering aid to women and responding to those at higher risk for sexual and/or domestic violence."
Vietnamese Lifetime Spiral of Gender Violence (pdf)
Vietnamese translation of the Lifetime Spiral of Gender Violence.
"Intimate partner violence against immigrant women is at epidemic proportions, but research has only recently begun to address the concern. A review of the legal, medical, and social science research literature reveals little data, but that which exist demonstrate that immigrant women's cultures, contexts, and legal status (a) increase vulnerability for abuse, (b) are used by batterers to control and abuse immigrant women, and (c) create barriers to women seeking and receiving help. Data also reveal that immigrant culture and context offer resiliency factors through which programs and policy can be used to better serve these populations."
Violence Against Native Women: A Guide for Practitioner Action (pdf)
This paper is intended to serve as a guide to practitioners who represent Native women who are the victims of domestic and sexual violence. It is dedicated to the brave Native women whose faces are behind the horrifying statistics. Includes practice tips for law enforcement, tribal leaders, judges, advocates, attorneys, prosecutors, and probation/parole officers.
Violence Against Women and Girls: A Compendium of Monitoring and Evaluation Indicators (pdf)
"This compendium offers a set of monitoring and evaluation indicators for program managers, organizations, and policy makers working to address violence against women and girls at individual, community, district and national levels in developing countries."
Violence against Women – Facts and Figures (pdf)
"This article provides facts and figures on violence against women to illustrate the devastating toll on women’s lives, on their families, and on society as a whole."
Violence Against Women: Classic Papers
The purpose of this project was to assemble some of the classic works in the field of violence against women so that new generations of students, practitioners, and researchers would have a collective understanding of the work that has shaped the field. Included are commentaries from the original authors, when available, reflecting on why they authored the work when they did and the influence of their work on the field.
Violence in the EU Examined (pdf)
"A report published by the University of Ljubljana in Slovenia on good practices and general recommendations for domestic violence initiatives in the Czech Republic, Cyprus, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia. The project includes findings on sexual harassment, female genital mutilation, honor crimes, exploitation, trafficking, and other issues affecting women and children. A summary of the report’s general recommendations is also available."
Virginia's Guidelines for the Primary Prevention of SV/IPV (pdf)
This document provides guidelines to assist Virginia sexual and domestic violence agencies(and possibly other community organizations) in developing effective SV/IPV primary prevention initiatives. The guidelines and support materials contained are based on a combination of research and experience from people who do SV/IPV primary prevention work on a daily basis.
What Makes a Domestic Violence Court Work? Lessons from New York (pdf)
This document presents the New York State Model as an example of promoting victim safety and defendant accountability in cases involving domestic violence. The article concludes that although domestic violence courts can play an important role in increasing accountability for defendants and safety for victims, broader systems change is needed.
When Men Murder Women: An Analysis of 2007 Homicide Data (pdf)
The report details national and state-by-state information on female homicides involving one female murder victim and one male offender. The study uses the most recent data available from the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s unpublished Supplementary Homicide Report.
Where Men Stand: Men’s roles in ending violence against women (pdf)
The report describes how many men use violence against women, what men think about violence against women, and what role men can and do play in reducing and preventing this violence.
Who Answers to Women? Gender & Accountability: Progress of the World's Women 2008/2009 (pdf)
"This report demonstrates that when gender-responsive accountability systems are put in place both nationally and internationally, the Millennium Development Goals and other international commitments to women will be met."
WHO Multi-country Study on Women's Health and Domestic Violence – Country Findings: Brazil
"This fact sheet provides information on the methods and main findings of the study, with regard to the phenomenon of intimate partner violence against women in Brazil. Data on sexual abuse and non-partner physical and sexual violence is also included."
"This report, the product of a 2009 survey of victim assistance providers and LGBTQ anti-violence programs throughout the United States, describes widespread gaps in victim services for LGBTQ victims of crime and recommends steps to improve both the services and their accessibility."
Women and Health: Today’s Evidence, Tomorrow’s Agenda (pdf)
"This report reviews evidence on the health issues that particularly affect girls and women throughout their life course. This report uses currently available data to draw attention to the consequences and costs of failing to address health issues at appropriate points in their lives."
Women and HIV/AIDS: Confronting the Crisis
"This report documents the latest information on the current HIV/AIDS pandemic, the devastating and often invisible impact of AIDS on women and girls and highlights the ways discrimination, poverty and gender-based violence help fuel the epidemic. Most importantly, the report targets the strategies to reverse the trends."
Working to End Violence Against Women in Brazil
"This VAWnet special collection highlights and celebrates the tremendous work being done in Brazil to end violence against women. The selected materials and resources provide a snapshot of the magnitude of the problem and highlight various recommendations for public policy as well as opportunities for community involvement and action."
Yaari Dosti: Young Men Redefine Masculinity (pdf)
"This training manual is a tool for those aiming to promote gender equity and address masculinity as a strategy for the prevention of HIV infection. The Manual is based on operations research that was undertaken in Mumbai and Uttar Pradesh to develop educational activities targeted to young men."
Legal/Policy
"She hit me too" - Identifying the Primary Aggressor: A Prosecutor's Perspective (pdf)
This article is based on law enforcement in the state of California and asks the question of whether officers are properly identifying the primary aggressor in domestic violence cases. It has a number of points that can be important to keep in mind whenever the question of 'primary aggressor' comes up.
(Un)heard Voices: Domestic Violence in the Asian American Community (pdf)
This publication is based on the results of a focus group with Asian immigrant women and Asian American women from different backgrounds. Various questions and issues are addressed such as identifying victims and perpetrators, prevalence of domestic violence in Asian communities, barriers confronting Asian women and more. The report also gives recommendations to service providers and a national list of organizations committed to serving battered Asian women.
15 Years of the United Nations Rapporteur on Violence against Women, Its Causes and Consequences (pdf)
This report reviews the status of violence against women as researched in 14 annual reports, 32 country mission reports, and 11 communication reports published as recently as December 2008. The report focuses on reproductive health and rights, poverty, migration, internally displaced persons (IDPs), women refugees, trafficking, aging, and adolescent girls. It also highlights how the mandate on violence against women has changed, what has been learned, and problems still to be addressed.
2006 Hennepin County Domestic Violence Court Report, a WATCH report (pdf)
"In November 2001, WATCH published its first domestic violence report entitled, Judicial Response and Demeanor in Domestic Violence Court. The 2001 report highlighted a variety of themes and patterns of inconsistency within the new court and offered recommendations for improvement. In this report, five years later, WATCH revisits those recommendations and takes a closer look at the effectiveness of the Hennepin County Domestic Violence Court in handling cases of misdemeanor domestic abuse."
2006 WATCH Victim Impact Statement Study (pdf)
This study addresses victim impact statements as given in court regarding incidences of domestic violence and/or sexual assault and the effect these statements had on the judge regarding sentencing.
2008 Status of Egyptian Women Report (pdf)
"The Egyptian Center for Women's Rights recently released its 2008 report on the status of Egyptian women. The report evaluated the current situation for women in Egypt, identifying the particular areas where action is most urgently needed in order to advance women's rights within the country."
2010 Family Violence Legislative Update (pdf)
Every year, the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges Family Violence Department writes a legislative update. This document provides legislative trends and new domestic violence related legislation for most states. Only those states which did not have legislative sessions in 2010 have no new reports.
2010 State Law Report Cards on Teen Dating Violence
A 2010 State-by-State Teen Dating Violence Report Card from Break The Cycle. Includes recommendations for improving state laws and policies to better protect victims, changes in the laws that affect teens experiencing abuse, and a revised scoring system that better assesses the impact of state laws on teens seeking protection orders.
"This paper examines the process Vermont used, including areas of both agreement and uncertainty, and introduces the protocol to a wider audience of interveners. It draws on a review of planning notes and other documents and a series of interviews with those who participated in shaping the process and the protocol. It provides a starting point for other communities to explore their own response to children at domestic violence incidents, as well as an approach that can be used to examine other aspects of intervention."
"Whether or not to file domestic violence cases when the victim does not support prosecution is a difficult decision. Previous research provides contradictory evidence regarding the effects on victim safety, empowerment, and official measures of recidivism of prosecuting despite victim opposition. This study compared a jurisdiction that tends not to file cases if the victim opposes prosecution (the Bronx), with a jurisdiction that files all domestic violence cases (Brooklyn).
A Judge's Bench Card Regarding Full Faith and Credit
A publication designed to help judges understand the necessary steps to supporting implementation of the Full Faith and Credit Provision of the Violence Against Women Act.
A Judicial Guide to Child Safety in Custody Cases (pdf)
"This Judicial Guide contains 14 bench cards which provide an easy-to-use checklist system for judges at critical decision-making points throughout child custody cases, as well as a supplemental guide which provides additional information about in- and out-of-court behaviors, best interest of the child, and order issuance and enforcement. "
"This preliminary experiment tests whether African American and European American abused women who give testimony about their experiences of intimate partner violence and learn how to use yogic breathing techniques have reduced feelings of depression. Results indicate that learning yogic breathing techniques alone and combined with giving testimony significantly reduces feelings of depression. "
A Process Evaluation of the Clark County Domestic Violence Court
This is an evaluation of the Clark County Domestic Violence Court in Washington. It includes an examination of statistics that reveal the extent of the domestic violence problem in Clark County, with discussion about the creation of the domestic violence court, including the philosophies that guide the Clark County Domestic Violence Court, and the specific components of the court.
Accountability and Connection with Abusive Men (pdf)
"This document is an effort to remedy the excessive focus on mothers in cases involving domestic violence. It provides suggestions for connecting with and holding abusers accountable. It is a resource for child protection workers, supervisors, managers and others working with families involved in the child protection system."
Achieving Equity for Women: Policy Alternatives for the New Administration Symposium Report (pdf)
"This report summarizes the policy research symposium convened by the Institute for Women’s Policy Research and the Wellesley Centers for Women, held in Washington, DC on April 2, 2009. The symposium highlighted four policy areas in which public policy can work to improve the status of women in the United States: women and economic recovery; retirement, social security and aging; quality early care and education; and women and health care reform."
Addressing Gender-based Violence: UNFPA Strategy and Framework for Action (pdf)
This report, grounded in UNFPA's overarching goal of eliminating violence against women and girls, identifies particular areas where action is most urgently needed and proposes general policy frameworks for combating gender-based violence.
Advocacy Challenges in a CCR: Protecting Confidentiality While Promoting a Coordinated Response (pdf)
This article examines the conflict advocates face between the victims’ need for confidentiality and the broader need for collaboration in a CCR, and explores how an advocacy program balances these two seemingly competing interests. This article provides helpful insight into how an advocacy program remain an effective partner within a CCR while still protecting the confidentiality of the battered women it serves.
Advocates Serve a Distinct and Different Role Than Paralegal Prosecution Staff
A report about the differences between advocates and paralegals and how each role affects the justice system.
Advocating for Domestic Violence Victims Who Have Been Arrested for Domestic Violence
This article examines the impact of increasing arrest rates of women in domestic violence investigations and offers advocates information on how to assist victims that have been arrested.
The handbook consisits of various practical forms which were developed by advocates to evaluate criminal justice services for women in cases of rape, domestic violence and child abuse. It also has theoretical chapters on understanding how criminal justice systems can help and harm women.
Posted by the Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Discusses arrest, immunity, notice of rights, report required, and training.
A March 2000 report intended to be more than a five-year review of progress since the Beijing Conference. It is intended as a resource document, a reference tool that will help serve as a guide through the maze of government agencies and programs, both general programs and women-specific ones, that benefit women.
An Advocate's Guide to Full Faith and Credit
This guide was developed for advocates who assist victims of domestic violence with orders for protection. It provides a glossary of full faith and credit terminology, advocate tips, and information about enforcement of full faith and credit legislation.
An Assessment of Minnesota's Health Care and Public Health Response to Violence Against Women (pdf)
Examines the prevention of violence against women through literature, current policy and practices and lists recommendations for change.
This white paper is intended to assist court planners in the design and implementation of domestic violence court technology. It spells out the basic principles that have animated domestic violence technology in New York and walks through the principle features of New York's computer application.
The third website installment profiles 13 communities that have undertaken efforts to reduce and prevent violence against women. The communities have developed a coordinated criminal justice response while maintaining a focus on victim safety and offender accountability.
Backlash and Whiplash: A Critique of Statistics Canada's 1999 General Social Survey on Victimization
Throughout North America and in many other countries, the late 1970s and early 1980s were marked by protests that not only was the criminal justice system stacked against battered women, but that researchers had completely ignored their plight. These earlier studies, including Statistics Canada’s own 1993 national Violence Against Women Survey (VAWS)1 and others like it are now the basis behind the claim that researchers were biased against men in the past. The main objective is to show that Statistics Canada made a specific effort to return newer studies to the late 1970s and early 1980s, when researchers methods that portrayed an inaccurate picture of relationship violence.
Balancing Obligations: Serving Teen Victims and Mandated Reporting of Statutory Rape (pdf)
This issue brief addresses the importance of preserving confidentiality while working with teen victims of abuse, at the same time fulfilling the service provider's legal duties.
Barbara J. Hart's Collected Writings
Barbara J. Hart is the Legal Director of the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence, Associate Director of the Battered Women's Justice Project, and Legal Consultant to the National Resource Center on Domestic Violence. This document contains 16 of her writings around issues of domestic violence.
Battered Immigrants and U.S. Citizen Spouses (pdf)
Designed to help adjudicators who decide cases involving battered immigrant women to better understand and consider the evidence presented, this paper reviews and provided data about the dynamics of domestic violence experienced by immigrant women. The authors demonstrate how power and control over the immigration status of an immigrant partner enhances the likelihood and severity of abuse. Examples of immigration-related tactics of abuse are provided.
"The purpose of this study was to learn how CPS can be more responsive to families experiencing domestic violence and child abuse and neglect; learn how domestic violence advocates can be more effective in helping clients to respond to allegations of or actual child abuse and neglect and CPS interventions; explore how community can be more responsive to partner abuse and child abuse and neglect and provide support to families involved with CPS; and experiment with a research design that accomplishes the first step of participatory research and at the same time empowers advocates and survivors."
Batterer Intervention: Program Approaches and Criminal Justice Strategies (pdf)
This February 1998 report strives to improve the working relationship and mutual understanding between criminal justice personnel and batterer program staff. A secondary goal is to expand the debate about innovative batterer intervention approaches to include criminal justice personnel who work with batterers daily and criminal justice policymakers who are concerned with domestic violence. Published by the U.S. Department of Justice's Office of Justice Programs at the National Institute of Justice.
Beyond Observation: Considerations for Advancing Domestic Violence Practice in Supervised Visitation (pdf)
"This paper presents considerations for expanded practice in the Supervised Visitation Grant Program and describes interventions that go beyond observation in the supervised visitation setting."
Blame, Shame, and Community: Justice Responses to Violence Against Women
August 2000 speech delivered at the 108th annual APA meeting.
Breaking Barriers: A Complete Guide to Legal Rights and Resources for Battered Immigrants
This manual seeks to explain the complex topics of domestic violence and immigration laws that are intended to assist immigrant survivors. The goal of this manual is to provide support and assistance to advocates and attorneys, arming them with the knowledge they need to confidently provide effective assistance to battered immigrant victims and the immigrant community.
Breaking the Silence: A Training Manual for Activists, Advocates, and Latina Organizers (pdf)
"A guide for domestic violence service providers, activists, counselors and others focused on advancing the rights of battered immigrant women. Based on the FVPF's successful pilot project, the manual provides essential details on how to start organizing and maintaining a group of activists and counselors. This guide is also available in Spanish."
Breaking the Silence: A Training Manual for Activists, Advocates, and Latina Organizers (Spanish) (pdf)
"The first ever guide for domestic violence service providers, activists, counselors and others focused on advancing the rights of battered immigrant women. Based on the FVPF's successful pilot project, the manual provides essential details on how to start organizing and maintaining a group of activists and counselors. This guide is also available in English."
Bridging the Gap: Financing Gender Equality (pdf)
"This booklet is intended for those who wish to better understand the links between gender equality, public policy formation and development financing. It highlights the importance of expanding policy choices in setting the framework for national development plans, and emphasizes the central role of strategies to advance gender equality and the empowerment of women in achieving development effectiveness."
Bringing Domestic Violence Best Practices to New York’s Town and Village Courts (pdf)
The purpose of this document is to gain a deeper understanding of the domestic violence policies and practices implemented in New York’s rural town and village courts and to measure the impact of trainings on these practices.
Broadening Our Understanding of Violence Against Women Among Racial, Ethnic, and Cultural Minorities
This article documents the main discussions that evolved from a workshop. The document explores what is known and unknown about the dynamics of violence experienced by women from diverse communities and how criminal justice and social science providers can better respond to it. The workshop was held in October 2001 and attended by approximately 30 practitioners and researchers, including representatives from the Departments of Justice and Health and Human Services.
Building Bridges Between Domestic Violence Advocates and Healthcare Providers
This paper addresses the role of domestic violence advocates as they face new challenges in the field of health care, with growing demands to provide health care-based training, interventions, and policy initiatives.
Building Capacity in Child Welfare Systems: Domestic Violence Specialized Positions (pdf)
"The report seeks to assist policymakers and practitioners in developing specialist positions that are tailored to the circumstances of their communities and states. We offer observations about initial expectations for these positions and the evolution of the positions over time. We also set forth composite examples of each of the major types of specialized positions and lay out the components of each, including responsibilities, auspices and settings, competencies, and funding sources. By doing so, we highlight different approaches to improving understanding 2 of domestic violence and strengthening the likelihood of achieving safety for non-offending parents and their children."
California Batterer Intervention Systems Study
This study on batterer intervention programs in the state of California encompasses 5 counties, 53 batterer intervention programs that provide client data, and over 1,000 men enrolled in those programs. The study found that the individual characteristics of the offenders, and not the program they were enrolled in nor the features of the specific court they were sentenced in, were the strongest predictors of outcomes.
This article explains the importance of coordingating system change activities in child welfare agencies with many collaborative activities."
Child Abuse and Neglect: Compendia of Civil and Criminal State Laws
"This compendia list how each state in the U.S. defines child abuse and neglect. The compendia of civil state laws are to help legal and non-legal professionals in the analysis, formulation, and implementation of child protection and child welfare legislation. The Compendia (previously titled State Statutes Elements) contain citations and text of key civil statutes pertaining to child maltreatment, child welfare, and domestic violence. The Compendia are intended as research tools and do not substitute for the official version of any statute."
Describes major legal and social trends surrounding custody and visitation decisions and the social science evidence supporting the need to consider domestic violence. Recommendations for custody and visitation decisions are explored.
"Describes major legal and social trends surrounding custody and visitation decisions and the social science evidence supporting the need to consider domestic violence. Recommendations for custody and visitation decisions are explored."
Child Support Protocol: A Guide for Integrated Domestic Violence Courts (pdf)
A best practices guide for legal professionals who oversee integrated domestic violence court cases involving child custody issues.
Child Witnesses to Domestic Violence: Summary of State Laws (pdf)
Currently, approximately 22 States and Puerto Rico address in statute the issue of children who witness domestic violence in their homes. This document is a summary of those laws. Quickly find statute information for a particular State, here- www.childwelfare.gov/systemwide/laws_policies/state/index.cfm
This handbook is for domestic violence specialists and trainers in police departments. It is designed to increase the understanding of children’s exposure to domestic violence by officers responding to these situations.
This series was created through a collaboration of the Vermont Network Against Domestic and Sexual Violence, the Vermont Department for Children and Families and the Vermont Center for Crime Victim Services. Part II of the series provides well-documented information for policy development regarding criminal and civil responses to issues impacting children exposed to domestic violence that hold batterers accountable. The paper incudes a discussion of unintended consequences of these policies, a review of several state statutes and a model response and recommendations for Vermont.
Community Corrections Response To Domestic Violence: Guidelines For Practice (pdf)
"This document provides a series of guidelines for community corrections professionals that support a proactive community supervision approach for domestic violence cases. It pulls together in one place for community corrections professionals and allied justice system and community-based services the conceptual information and practical tools to develop or enhance effective programs."
Community Policing and Domestic Violence: Five Promising Practices (pdf)
This document provides a background and history of community policing and outlines promising practices in the area of collaboration between police and communities. Case studies from Chicago, Marin County, Duluth, and London are also presented.
"This is a client-centered tool for civil attorneys new to representing victims of domestic and dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking to provide comprehensive representation and advocacy for their clients."
Confidentiality & Information Sharing (pdf)
This document addresses the legal and confidentiality issues advocates face when working with the child protection system and juvenile courts. It also encourages advocacy, and focuses on the information issues advocates face when they counsel battered mothers whose children have been placed in the child protection system. Advocates need to know what to do with the information they gather from victims of domestic violence and what the laws say about how they use that information. Each section offers tips and suggestions for advocates, questions for their consideration, and examples of effective practices. The appendix features worksheets that expand upon the topics addressed in each section.
Criminal Domestic Violence Case Processing: A Case Study of the Five Boroughs of New York City (pdf)
A study of the five boroughs of New York City in which domestic violence criminal case processing exist. The study seeks to establish what the policies and practices of the domestic violence courts are, to understand their underlying rationale, and to learn what the stakeholders perceive as their strengths and weaknesses.
Criminal Prosecution of Domestic Violence
This article identifies appropriate goals to be pursued in woman battering and the special challenges these cases present to prosecutors. It offers guidelines for improving collaboration between prosecutors and advocates.
Criminalization of Domestic Violence: Promises and Limits
"This report begins with a brief history of the development of modern legal reforms in domestic violence and examines their theoretical underpinnings. Next, it reviews the empirical evidence on the deterrent effects of criminal and civil legal sanctions for domestic violence. Then, the unique contexts of domestic violence are examined to identify factors that influence the deterrent effects of criminal justice reforms. The paper concludes with an agenda for building an empirical base for knowledge and policy to control domestic violence."
This publication provides information about the use of cross-system dialogue to facilitate communication among representatives working in the domestic violence, child welfare, and court system. Strategies for professionals responding to family violence and child maltreatment are also provided.
This article addresses the likely and realistic outcome regarding custodial care decisions during divorce battles. It would seem apparent that the parent responsible for inflicting abuse upon their child is often the one to receive unsupervised visitation rights and often even full legal custody as well.
"This report articulates a corporate strategy for working with governments and partners in promoting gender equality."
This handbook is intended for organizations of any size that are interested in developing a bilingual or multilingual legal referral hotline to assist recent immigrant communities with their legal needs. The handbook presents ten fundamental steps to guide any organization. The previous .pdf file containing the handbook is no longer available. The link is to an order form for those who are interested.
Discussion Paper on IACPʹs Policy on Domestic Violence by Police Officers (pdf)
The International Association of Chiefs of Police most recent document relating to the issues and concepts of creating policy around domestic violence perpetrated by police officers.
Do You Know a Woman Who is Being Abused: A Legal Rights Handbook (pdf)
This handbook is a guide to the legal system for women in abusive relationships.
Documenting Domestic Violence: How Health Care Providers Can Help Victims
This Research in Brief outlines how health care providers can improve the admissibility of evidence and strengthen a case for domestic violence victims.
Domestic Abuse Act: 2011 Minnesota Statutes
Section 518B.01 of Minnesota’s statutes, the Domestic Abuse Act, contains the legal language behind an Order for Protection (OFP)in the state of MN. It designates the procedures that must be followed in applying for and granting an OFP, and describes the kind of relief that can be granted.
Domestic Assault: 2011 Minnesota Statutes
Statute 609.2242, Domestic Assault, criminalizes domestic violence in the state of MN as a misdemeanor, gross misdemeanor, or felony depending on the charges. For example, penalties are increased when the perpetrator has previously committed one or more domestic assaults within a certain time period.
Domestic Violence Advocates and the Unauthorized Practice of Law (pdf)
This document is intended for both volunteer and paid staff of nongovernmental domestic violence programs who work directly with victims of domestic violence currently engaged in one or more legal matters related to their battering. This document is intended to highlight the possible issues for advocates and provide suggestions for better advocacy practice; it is not intended as, and should not be construed as, the provision of legal advice in any capacity.
Domestic Violence against Women (pdf)
"This briefing kit in Spanish provides concise information on violence against women (VAW) in Latin America and the Caribbean. It consists of fact sheets in easy-to understand language, and is aimed at parliamentarians to help them advance or amend legislation on VAW."
Domestic Violence Against Women and Girls (pdf)
"UNICEF's report discusses the scope and magnitude of the problem, causes and consequences of domestic violence, the socio-economic costs of violence, strategies and interventions, and state obligations with regard to domestic violence."
Domestic Violence and Children: Creating a Public Response (pdf)
The authors of this paper address children's exposure to domestic violence as a factor in healthy development. Research findings suggest that children who witness domestic violence are often unnoticed and underserved by other agencies in the community. Principles serving as a guiding framework for policy and service are outlined, as well as recommendations for communities and governmental bodies to help children experiencing domestic violence.
Domestic Violence and Dependency Courts: The Greenbook Demonstration Experience
"This article focuses on the dependency court, where child maltreatment cases are heard, specifically court participation in collaborative activities and court practice improvements."
Domestic Violence and Homelessness (pdf)
"This fact sheet covers homelessness and DV, DV and poverty, and how women can be trapped by homelessness and violence. This piece encourages policy that reduces the risk of homeless for survivors through housing discrimination protection."
Domestic Violence and Probation
This article offers specialized management techniques that probation officers can use to monitor batterers and intervene in domestic violence cases more effectively. The author offers suggestions on how to manage offenders on probation, respond to common excuses, and handle those offenders least likely to be held accountable.
The author looks at domestic violence among women on welfare, the impact on children who are exposed to violence in the home, and methods to increase the stability of marriages.
Domestic Violence Civil Protection Orders (CPOs) By State (pdf)
A chart that lists domestic violence civil protection orders (CPOs) by state.
Domestic Violence Courts: A Desriptive Study
This study provides a description of what courts are doing to meet the challenge of domestic violence and suggests several areas for future consideration. This description of domestic violence courts is intended to serve as a summary of current court procedures and efforts to enhance the safety of children and victims, ensure the accountability of batterers, and improve the administration and accessibility of justice.
Domestic violence laws in Australia
The report analyzes domestic violence legislation in all Australian States and Territories and in New Zealand in order to assist the Australian Government’s National Plan to Reduce Violence Against Women and their Children. The report notes gaps and overlaps between State and Territory domestic violence protection orders and the Family Law Act 1975.
Domestic Violence Legislation Affecting Police and Prosecutor Responsibilities in the U.S.
"This review can serve as a reference for state legislators concerned with domestic violence (including stalking), especially in defining the responsibilities of law enforcement and prosecutor agencies. It can also serve as a source of ideas for advocates interested in promoting legislative reforms directed at reducing domestic violence. Finally, this review can help researchers and evaluators better understand the legal context (and constraints) in which local justice agencies operate in responding to domestic violence."
Domestic violence model policy for the law enforcement community (pdf)
The purpose of this document from the International Association of Chiefs of Police is to establish guidelines for law enforcement officers in response to domestic violence calls. Clearly lays out the policy, definitions, and procedures.
Domestic Violence Programs and Children's Records: Issues of Confidentiality and Release (pdf)
Preserving confidentiality for battered women and their children is central to ensuring their safety and allowing them to regain and retain control over their lives. The vital services of a shelter or domestic violence program mean nothing if anyone can access their records, putting battered women and their children in danger of being located. This paper endeavors to provide guidance to domestic violence programs regarding children's records and to serve as a starting place for internal policy development on this issue.
Domestic Violence Protocol for Law Enforcement (pdf)
This document, revised in 2012, provides guidelines and establishes standards for public safety call takers, dispatchers, first responders and investigators in handling domestic violence incidents. The Protocol seeks to interpret and apply statutory and case law relating to domestic violence incident response and investigation. Particular attention is given to protecting victims of domestic violence, including children, other members of the household, and pets, through enforcement of restraining orders, provision of medical care, and working with support agencies to provide alternate shelter, relocation services, counseling and legal services.
Domestic Violence Risk Assessment Bench Guide
"A research-based bench guide for use by Minnesota judges at all stages of family, Order for Protection, civil or criminal cases involving domestic violence."
Domestic Violence, Visitations and Custody Decisions in New York Family Courts (pdf)
The study reported here was designed to examine the extent to which visitation or custody was sought and granted in cases involving domestic violence, through a review of Family Court records in New York City.
Dossier on Domestic Violence in Latin America and the Caribbean
"This publication includes a detailed balance of the work developed in Latin American and the Caribbean to eliminate violence against women. The objective of the publication is to have a tool that will help to design future activities in a more accurate way that take into account the economic, cultural and geographical women's reality of the Region in order to eliminate domestic violence. It also contains guidelines and recommendations for the future work on women’s rights for a life free of violence."
Effective Intervention in Domestic Violence & Child Maltreatment Cases (Executive Summary)
This is an executive summary of the document "Effective Intervention in Domestic Violence & Child Maltreatment Cases: Guidelines for Policies and Practice." The aim of this document is to offer a more comprehensive set of responses to eliminate or decrease the enormous risks that individual battered mothers, caseworkers, and judges must take on behalf of children.
This document examines 4,032 incidents in which males assaulted their female intimate partners, comparing the number of repeat offenses when batterers are and are not arrested.
Elder Abuse and Neglect Basics: Elder Abuse Laws
This page provides a brief overview of the major areas of federal and state law related to services for elder abuse victims, civil remedies for elder abuse, neglect and exploitation, and the prosecution of crimes against elderly people.
Elder Mistreatment: Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation in an Aging America
This full book link is provided courtesy of The National Academies Press. This is an online book and can be read in its entirety front to back, by chapter or skimmed by topic of interest. Published in 2002, this book details everything from the definitions and concepts of elder abuse to the public policy implications as well as to the types of interventions available for working with this population.
Employment and Domestic Violence
"This special collection includes a categorized and selected listing of articles, bibliographies, fact sheets, laws and court action, papers, regulations, reports and surveys relating to domestic violence and employment. It is offered as an additional tool to assist advocates working on and interested in employment issues related to ending violence against women. "
Employment Rights for Victims of Domestic Violence
This site contains a wealth of information for survivors, employers, and attorneys/advocates on employment rights for survivors of domestic violence. Included are resources, reference guides, guides to state laws, and model employment policy amongst many other helpful articles.
"Highlights the 2 most prevalent types of abuse in the lives of women and girls around the world: intimate partner violence and rape. Demonstrates how world-wide gender-based violence is a major public health concern, suggesting strategies to respond."
Enhancing Judicial Skills in Domestic Violence Cases Materials
This site contains links to various articles concerning judicial skills for domestic violence cases. Categories include access to justice, child custody issues, decision making, fact finding and more.
Evaluating Coordinated Community Responses to Domestic Violence
This VAWnet report presents a summary and analysis of research on coordinated community responses to domestic violence. It provides an overview of different mechanisms for coordination, examines the individual components of a coordinated community response, and addresses the overall response. The focus here will be on the justice system, advocacy and programs for abusers.
Facts & Stats: Domestic Violence in Asian, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Homes (pdf)
"Facts & Stats raises awareness about the experiences of Asian, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander battered women; counters denial about the problem; emphasizes the need for socio-culturally effective prevention and intervention; and serves to guide future research and inform public policy."
Family Violence Risk Assessment and Risk Management Framework (pdf)
Developed by independent experts and Victorian service providers, the framework includes three practical guides on identifying and assessing family violence, and includes case studies.
Family Violence- A National Legal Response Final Report (pdf)
This full Report by the Australian Law Reform Commission (ALRC) and the New South Wales Law
Reform Commission (the Commissions) sets out in detail the issues raised by the Terms of Reference, and the research and evidence base upon which the Commissions’ recommendations were formulated, including a thorough discussion of stakeholder views and the Commissions’ conclusions.
For an accessible overview of the policy framework and recommendations outlined in this two-volume final report, see Family Violence- A National Legal Response Summary Report.
Family Violence- A National Legal Response Summary Report (pdf)
This 76-page Summary Report provides an accessible overview of the policy framework and recommendations in the two-volume Final Report, Family Violence - A National Legal Response. It offers a consideration of the framework for the reform, including a description of the development of the key principles underpinning the 187 final recommendations. The recommendations are then considered as an expression of two principal themes—improving legal frameworks and improving practice, concluding with a summary of the net effect of the recommendations.
Overviews from frequently asked violence against elderly persons.
Federal Housing and Domestic Violence: Introduction to Programs, Policy, and Advocacy Opportunities
This paper provides a basic overview of the laws and policies governing the principal federal housing programs and discusses key policy issues these programs raise for battered women.
"Themes from this meeting hosted by the Government of Norway in Oslo include: macroeconomic policies, public finance and gender-responsive budgeting, bilateral and multilateral aid, and funding the women’s movement."
Form for Evaluating Police Response to Domestic Violence: For Use by Victims and Advocates
This form was put together for use by domestic violence victims and their advocates. It's
designed to assist in evaluating the police
response and the police report on domestic
violence calls. The form should help identify
problems in police response so that these problems can be corrected. It can
also be used provide feedback to the
police department and to the community on how
well police are responding to domestic violence
cases.
This form is also availabe in PDF format http://www.justicewomen.com/police_evaluation.pdf
This form is also available in Spanish at http://www.justicewomen.com/help_police_evaluation_sp.html (HTML version) and http://www.justicewomen.com/police_evaluation_sp.pdf (PDF version).
"This study estimated the frequency and correlates of intimate partner violence by type (physical, sexual, battering, or emotional abuse) among women seeking primary health care. Efforts to universally screen for partner violence and to effectively intervene to reduce the impact of such violence on women’s lives must be a public health priority."
This report exposes the difficulties domestic violence survivor-defendants have in receiving fair sentencing when they are prosecuted for crimes related to their abuse. Using an international human rights framework, the report obliges the U.S. government to “prevent, investigate, and punish violence against women.”
Full Faith and Credit Enabling Legislation and Registry Information
The following document provides information about individual states' laws and policies regarding restraining orders, the registration thereof and reciprocity between states. Registry information is also provided for the District of Columbia.
Full Faith and Credit Implementation: Challenges and Solutions
This chapter identifies some of the stumbling blocks to implementation of full faith and credit, including xenophobia, reluctance to change, and procedure-driven traditions of law enforcement. It offers an outline for a problem-solving approach.
Full Faith and Credit Scenarios
Case scenarios with fourteen questions to test your knowledge about full faith and credit issues.
This report is generated from a two-day meeting held in Seattle February 7 – 8, 2004 by an ad-hoc INCITE! Community Accountability in Organizations Working Group. This group specifically gathered to address gender oppression including patriarchical political and work environments, sexual harassment, domestic violence, and sexual assault committed against women/girls/women-identified persons of color within progressive, radical and revolutionary people of color organizations and movement.
This report intends to improve international and local capacities when addressing gender-based violence in refugee, internally-displaced and conflict settings.
Good practices in legislation on violence against women (pdf)
This report comes from an expert group meeting organized by the United Nations Division for the Advancement of Women and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. The purpose of the expert group meeting was to analyze different legislative approaches for addressing violence against women; assess lessons learned and identify good practices in regard to legal reforms on violence against women; and develop a model framework for legislation on violence against women. The outcome of the meeting is intended to assist States and other stakeholders in enhancing existing, and developing new, legislation on violence against women.
The guidelines describe model policies, practices, programs, and protocols that address the multiple needs of families and children affected by domestic violence and child maltreatment. They are based on recommendations contained in the Greenbook and on the thoughtful recommendations provided by public child welfare agency directors, domestic violence advocates, child advocates, and legal representatives.
Guiding Principles for Safe Havens: Supervised Visitation and Safe Exchange Grant Program (pdf)
"This document was designed to guide the development and administration of Supervised Visitation Program centers with an eye toward addressing the needs of child(ren) and adult victims of domestic violence in visitation and exchange settings. The Guiding Principles look beyond the visitation setting to address how communities funded under the Supervised Visitation Program should address domestic violence in the larger community."
Handbook for legislation on violence against women (pdf)
Based on the work of an expert group meeting in Vienna, United Nations Division for the Advancement of Women of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs developed a Handbook for Legislation on Violence against Women. This Handbook intends to provide all stakeholders with detailed guidance to support the adoption and effective implementation of legislation which prevents violence against women, punishes perpetrators, and ensures the rights of survivors everywhere.
Handbook for legislation on violence against women (Russian) (pdf)
"A Russian translation of the 2009 Handbook for legislation on violence against women, a report of the expert group meeting organized by the United Nations Division for the Advancement of Women and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. The group studied different legislative approaches to violence against women and developed this handbook for legislation based upon best practices and lessons learned. The handbook also includes commentary on legislation on violence against women in a number of countries."
A new report from the National Coalition for the Homeless (NCH) contains case descriptions of each attack that includes sexual assault. The report notes that because crimes committed against homeless persons often go unreported, the actual numbers of non-lethal attacks is likely much higher. Rapes and sexual assaults also tend to go unreported. The report recommends that state legislatures add homeless persons as a “protected class” to hate crime legislation, and encourages police trainings so law enforcement officers will better understand homelessness and how to prevent hate crimes.
Helping Traumatized Children: Tips for Judges (pdf)
"This fact sheet for judges and other court personnel outlines the impact of trauma on children's development, beliefs, and behaviors. It is designed to help professionals in the juvenile justice and family court system become more effective in addressing the unique needs and challenges of the traumatized children and adolescents they work with."
Helping with Domestic Violence: Legal Barriers to Serving Teens in Illinois (pdf)
November 2000. Report based on focus groups and interviews with a total of 110 service providers and teen groups in 1999-2000 to determine why so few services were available for teen victims of domestic violence. This research isolated a variety of Illinois laws and regulations that served as barriers. Subsequent review of laws in other states found that on some issues Illinois laws were more helpful to minors, but that in several key instances Illinois laws are in need of change. This report focuses on legal barriers to providing services to teen victims of domestic violence, specifically those that affect access to transitional and long-term housing, orders of protection for domestic violence, and health and mental health services.
Produced for the California Statewide Conference on Domestic Violence by SafeNETWORK, a (now defunct) project of the California Department of Health Services Maternal and Child Health Branch Domestic Violence Section and Intervace Children Family Services. The Herstory of Domestic Violence was originally researched and compiled by SafeNETWORK staff, April Howard and Susan Lewis. The Herstory was revised and updated for SafeNETWORK for the 1999 California Statewide Conference on Domestic Violence by Tamsen Stevenson and Cindi Love.
This document describes the abuse of migrant domestic workers in the United States as well as laws, guidelines, procedures, and regulations concerning special visas and their enforcement.
Linda v. Lyle - A Case Study. Looks at the possibility that some or all high-conflict divorces are actually the manifestation of stalking behaviors by wealthy domestic abusers. Part I compares and contrasts the research on batterers and stalkers to the literature on high-conflict divorce. In Part II, an actual high-conflict case is described. Part III explores the lack of consumer protection. Part IV offers a modest proposal that may discourage protracted Family Court litigation and calls for studies that apply stalking and battering dynamics to high-conflict divorce so stalking by way of Family Court can be quantified and illuminated.
"The authors review the literature on resilience following childhood maltreatment and describe how variation in the measurement of outcomes at various developmental stages affects research findings, practice implications, and policy recommendations."
How to Investigate Domestic Violence Homicide
A guide for investigating the path leading up to domestic violence homicides, for friends, activists, journalists, and all who care.
How to obtain U Interim Relief: A Brief Manual for Advocates Assisting Immigrant Victims of Crime (pdf)
This manual provides U Visa information for advocates who assist victims of crime, including domestic violence. The author outlines the definition, requirements, and application process for U Visa Interim relief and also offers information on obtaining permanent residency and derivative status for family members.
How to Write a Letter to the Judge for Victims of Rape, Domestic Violence and Child Abuse
Gives information that should help you write a more effective letter. Provides four examples of different kinds of letters you as a victim or victim advocate, may want to write to the judge in the criminal case. Also available in Spanish.
The Human Rights Brief, a student-run publication of the Center for Human Rights and Humanitarian Law, reports on developments in international human rights and humanitarian law and provides concise legal analysis of cutting edge human rights issues.
If You Want Legal Assistance But Cannot Afford a Lawyer
Information and referrals. Also on this site is information about safety planning and important resource phone numbers to have.
Immigrant Populations as Victims: Toward a Multicultural Criminal Justice System (pdf)
"This report summarizes findings from a study about the criminal justice system's approach to immigrant victims of crime and barriers that prohibit immigrants from reporting crimes."
Immigrant Victims of Domestic Violence: Cultural Challenges and Available Legal Protections
This VAWNET document raises awareness of both the challenges faced by battered immigrant women and some of the legal protections now available to them.
Immigrant Women and Domestic Violence
This special collection highlights the common experiences of immigrant women who are in abusive relationships, the legal protections and public benefits available, and practices and suggestions for increasing the effectiveness of services provided to immigrant women.
Immigration Relief for Crime Victims: The U Visa Manual (pdf)
"This manual aims to provide guidance to lawyers on issues that arise in the context of representing U visa applicants. It is designed for practitioners who are familiar with basic immigration terms and legal concepts."
Impact of the Law on Service to Teens (pdf)
This issue brief discusses the challenges that laws at the state and federal level pose, how they can impact the way service providers serve teens and how teens respond to adult interventions. Suggested strategies are given for programs and agencies working to serve teen victims of abuse.
Implementation of the Bulgarian Law (pdf)
"Throughout 2007, The Advocates' Women's Human Rights Program and BGRF conducted human rights monitoring to investigate implementation of the law by all principals, including the state, police, judges, prosecutors, media and NGOs. This report presents the findings and makes recommendations to improve implementation of the law. The report was produced with the support of the Oak Foundation and UNIFEM."
"This Trainer's Manual was developed to help health care providers and domestic violence advocates meet the challenge of training clinicians and other staff within the busy clinic or hospital setting. The Manual provides step-by-step instructions for teaching each section of the Resource Manual including the basics of domestic violence, clinical skills, legal issues, community resources, and role play scenarios. It also includes a special module on cultural diversity."
This is a briefing paper prepared for a Wingspread Conference of a similar title. It discusses family violence, specifically against women and children, barriers to helping the victims, and the importance of collaboration to effect change.
Increasing Your Safety: Full Faith and Credit for Protection Orders
This guide explains Full Faith and Credit law and offers ideas about where to get help if you have problems with enforcement of a protection order.
As part of the International Marriage Broker Regulation Act, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services has released this fact sheet to provide immigrating foreign brides (and other marriage-based visa applicants) with potentially life-saving information about rights and resources available to them in the United States if they are abused.
Information Sharing in Collaborative Relationship: Domestic Violence and Child Protection (pdf)
This series was created through a collaboration of the Vermont Network Against Domestic and Sexual Violence, the Vermont Department for Children and Families and the Vermont Center for Crime Victim Services. Part III provides general guidance and possibilities for policy development regarding information sharing between systems and presents avenues for effective inquiry where these issues intersect.
International Criminal Justice, Conflict and Its Response to Gender-Based Violence (pdf)
This article illustrates and analyzes the need for accountability and healing for women who suffered gender-based violence during armed conflict.
Intimate Partner Homicide (pdf)
This issue of the NIJ Journal focuses on a single important topic—homicides committed by the victim’s spouse or other intimate partner. Women are most likely to be the victim in these cases of intimate partner homicide. An overview on page 2 reflects the range of ideas the authors discuss, from aspects of the problem (such as risk factors and the effect of alcohol abuse) to possible steps toward reducing the number of incidents (such as the effectiveness of domestic violence services and the use of fatality reviews). The articles shed new light on a type of crime that continues to have serious social consequences and to present challenges to law enforcement and health providers.
"This document describes intimate partner violence (IPV) in immigrant and refugee communities in the United States. The report contains four main sections: background information on the incidence of the problem among immigrant and refugee communities, an overview of the needs and challenges of immigrant and refugee IPV victims and service providers, recommendations for funders, service providers and policy-makers, and lastly a discussion of IPV research and evaluation issues to be addressed in immigrant and refugee communities."
Introducing Expert Testimony to Explain Victim Behavior in Sexual and Domestic Violence Prosecutions
"This monograph sets forth recommended practices for addressing victims behavior in a sexual or domestic violence prosecution, and providing an accurate context in which a jury can evaluate a victim's behavior."
Justice and Safety for All: Promoting Dialogue Between Public Defenders and Victim Advocates (pdf)
This document explores the relationship between the lawyers who defend individuals charged with domestic violence and the advocates who work for the rights and needs of victims of domestic violence. Because defenders and advocates often serve the same families, improving their relationship is part of providing just and safe resolutions in domestic violence cases. Filled with the voices of a handful of defenders and advocates talking about each other and their work, Justice and Safety for All is written to help other advocates and defenders begin their own conversations.
A film accompanies this publication. "In Their Own Words" is a 15-minute documentary that explores public defenders' and victim advocates' opinions about each other and their work on domestic violence cases. Copies of the film can be obtained from the National Associates Programs department of the Vera Institute of Justice, 212-334-1300.
Kenyan Laws and Harmful Customs Curtail Women’s Equal Enjoyment of ICESCR Rights (pdf)
"The Federation of Women Lawyers Kenya (FIDA Kenya) and the International Women’s Human Rights Clinic (IWHRC) at Georgetown University released this report as a supplement to Kenya’s latest periodic report under the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR). The report finds that Kenyan laws and practices prevent women from attaining economic, social and cultural Rights."
Know Your Rights: For Victims of Rape, Domestic Violence and Child Abuse
Based on California law, this indexed document provides summaries, full legal texts, and notes, on seven key victims' rights for victims of rape, domestic violence, and child abuse. Accompanying the discussion of each right is a section on what to do if the right is violated by officials. The English language document is linked to the full Spanish translation of the same document.
Law of Protection from Family Violence in Peru
Discusses domestic violence and the Law of Protection from Family Violence in Peru.
This document introduces voices of battered immigrant, refugee and indegenious women who were also involved in Child Protection Services. The document explores how community approach can enhance the physical, spiritual and mental health of individuals, families and communities and how this concept can be well utilized for policy and practice for social services.
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Domestic Violence in 2001 (pdf)
"Provides a definition of dv inclusive to LGBT survivors; a state-by-state analysis of legal protections for LGBT survivors; U.S. statistics highlighting LGBT experiences of domestic violence; survivor stories and local reports from member agencies."
Lethality Assessments as Integral Parts of Providing Full Faith and Credit Guarantees
Exiting violent relationships can be extremely dangerous for battered women and their children. Women who flee across state lines engage in an act of separation which heightens the potential for lethal violence from their abusers.
Local Police Enforcement of Immigration Laws and its Effects on Victims of Domestic Violence
This paper warns that local police and prosecutors should be prepared for the predictable reduction in reporting of serious crimes if law enforcement officers chose to expand their duties to include the policing of immigration matters. The author argues roles of local police is not enforcing immigration law in securing safety for victims of domestic violence.
"This report provides extensive research of the mail-order bride industry in the United Kingdom. The industry is linked to the promotion of trafficking, prostitution, pornography and slavery. The report suggests that this industry not only exploits vulnerable groups of women but also reinforces racial and ethnic stereotypes. Recommendations are given on what the government can do to further protect women."
Mandatory Reporting of Child Abuse and Neglect: State Statutes and Professional Ethics (pdf)
A comprehensive listing of state statutes on mandatory reporting of child abuse and neglect. Also included is a listing of reporting requirements and code of ethics for professionals in various fields.
Marital Rape (pdf)
This VAWnet report provides an overview of the research on marital rape with (1) a brief legal history of marital rape; (2) a discussion of the occurrence of marital rape;(3) a summary of the effects of marital rape; and (4) an analysis of practitioners' interventions with marital rape survivors.
This guide is written for program managers responsible for improving the delivery of safety, security, and access to justice in any part of the world. Its intended audience is a wide variety of government officials and anyone interested in pursuing a disciplined course of institutional reform in the safety and justice sector. The guide does not prescribe the use of particular indicators for measuring progress toward safety and justice. The choice of appropriate indicators must be the result of a process undertaken in each country and program.
Medicaid Fraud Annual Report - 2003 (pdf)
Medicaid fraud is federally recognized form of elder abuse. This report details case examples from 2003 of patient abuse and neglect.
Model Code On Domestic and Family Violence
Model Code on Domestic and Family Violence is a brief description of the Model Code (1994), which is available from the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges and posted by the American Bar Association.
Model Domestic Violence Policy for Counties: State of New York
A January, 1998 manual for New York State Counties.
Model Protocol for Advocates Working with Battered Women Involved in the Child Protection System
This protocol includes policy and practice recommendations for advocates who work with battered women involved in the child protection system.
Model Protocol on Service Animals in Domestic Violence Shelters (pdf)
"This document provides basic information about the use of service animals, the laws that apply to domestic violence shelters and service animals, and suggested policies and procedures for domestic violence shelters regarding service animals."
This protocol/policy model intends to support domestic violence agencies in the state of Washington to increase and extend the services to immigrant and refugee women whose primary language is not English. However, this information will be relevant to any agency that is a recipient of federal funding.
Model Protocols on Working with Battered Women and Their Teenage Boys in Shelter
This model protocol is useful for domestic violence shelters who do not set age limits for male children in shelter. It is equally useful for those who critically examine safety of all children and women in shelter.
Model Tribal Domestic Violence Full Faith and Credit Ordinance
A sample document of a tribal domestic violence full faith and credit ordinance.
This report focuses on the situations of women who experienced abuse in another country and came to the United States in an effort to protect themselves and their children, but who then faced civil actions in U.S. state or federal courts for child abduction under international legal agreements.
NCEA Releases New Study on Abuse of Adults Age 60+ (pdf)
The 2004 Survey of Adult Protective Services, the most rigorous national study of state-level APS data conducted to date, offers important new insights into the troubling elder abuse problem.
Originally presented by Susan Schechter as a talk at the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence Statewide Training Institute, March 17, 1997, Harrisburg, PA and revised for the Iowa Coalition Against Domestic Violence Administrative Development Conference, May 8, 1997, Ames, Iowa.
New York City Domestic Violence Fatality Review Committee Annual Report 2008 (pdf)
This report describes family-related homicides that occurred in New York City between 2002 and 2007. Includes key findings, risk factors, and action steps in response to findings.
This document presents a general overview of discourses on culture, religion, and tradition that are used to justify violence against women and looks at cases in various countries, as well as methods to counter such arguments. The paper also provides recommendations for activists, scholars, and policy makers.
Not a Minute More: Ending Violence Against Women (pdf)
This report highlights many of the achievements towards the empowerment of women and indicates what must be done to build on them. It provides examples of practices as well as efforts that did not meet the goals set out for them — and explores why. It looks at the challenges ahead and asks what the most fruitful next steps might be.
Not Enough: What TANF Offers Family Violence Victims (pdf)
Based on a national survey of service providers, this report is a comprehensive effort to understand when TANF successfully assists victims of family violence, and when the program falls short.
Ohio Elder Abuse Task Force Report (pdf)
This report consists of recommendations, issues for future consideration, and implementation strategies for the prevention of elder abuse as a result of research done by the Ohio Elder Abuse Task Force.
On the Road to Equality: Statewide Findings & Policy Recommendations (pdf)
"A supplement to the Status of Girls in Minnesota report by the Women’s Foundation of Minnesota in partnership with the Institute for Women’s Policy Research. Focus groups were conducted in 18 Minnesota communities that included African American, Latino, Native American, Asian American, LBT (Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender), and disabilities communities — to share key research findings and gain community input. This report captures the voices and policy recommendations of these communities, nonprofit and public leaders."
Overcoming Domestic Violence: A Global Challenge (pdf)
"The project is part of the World Council of Churches' decade on Overcoming Violence. The report contains seven chapters, beginning with the author’s recommendations from the project. The rest of the chapters place domestic violence within an international human rights framework, discuss domestic violence’s roots, its effects on development, relevant international law milestones, practical strategies culled from project experiences around the world, and the importance of monitoring development projects to ensure women’s full participation."
Overlap of Domestic Violence and Child Maltreatment in U.S. State Civil and Criminal Statutes
This April 2000 table lists statutes alphabetically by state.
Parental Alienation Syndrome and Parental Alienation: Research Reviews (pdf)
This VAWnet document provides a historical and research overview of Parental Alienation Syndrome and Parental Alienation, identifies strategic issues for advocates working with victims, and offers guidelines to improve courts’ treatment of these issues.
Passport to Safety: Some Concluding Remarks
Under VAWA, gender-motivated violence is a form of sex discrimination and as such requires civil rights protection. In this concluding chapter the volume editors revisit salient issues and suggest strategies for multiagency coordination and cooperation.
Descriptions of statutes and penalties for violations.
Pets in Protective Orders- Summary by State (pdf)
This document shows current pet protection laws by state as well as pending legislation as of 6/11.
Police Domestic Violence: A Handbook for Victims
This handbook highlights some of the most significant advantages and disadvantages of the personal, financial, and legal options that victims of law enforcement perpetrators must consider.
Police Family Violence Fact Sheet
"Highlights statistics of Police Officers' personal (not-job related) involvement in domestic violence situations. The fact sheet mentions several studies have found that 40% of police officer families experience domestic violence."
Police in the Lives of Young Children Exposed to Domestic Violence (pdf)
This paper is part of series of paper that addresses the way to mobilize community and programatic resources to provide responsive help to children and families affected both by domestic violence and poverty. This particular paper explores the important roles the police officer can play in assisting children and families experiencing domestic violence.
Practical Implications of Current Domestic Violence Research Part I: Law Enforcement (pdf)
The author discusses the problem of domestic violence and the issues that emerge among law enforcement. This document also reviews the characteristics of many perpetrators and the victims they choose. Be sure to check out parts 2 & 3 which are linked from MINCAVA as well.
Practical Implications of Current Domestic Violence Research Part II: Prosecution (pdf)
"The purpose of this work is to describe to practitioners what the research tells us about domestic violence, including its perpetrators and victims, and the impact of current responses to it and, more particularly, the implications of that research for day to day real world responses to domestic violence by law enforcement officers, prosecutors, and judges."
Practical Implications of Current Domestic Violence Research Part III: Judges (pdf)
"The purpose of this work is to describe to practitioners what the research tells us about domestic violence, including its perpetrators and victims, and the impact of current responses to it, and more particularly, the implications of that research for day to day real world responses to domestic violence by law enforcement officers, prosecutors, and judges."
Practical Implications of Current Domestic Violence Research, Part I: Law Enforcement
"The first of a 3-part study focuses on what the research tells law enforcement officers about the perpetrators and victims of domestic violence, the outcomes of current law enforcement responses, and what the findings mean for daily law enforcement tasks."
Practical Implications of Current Domestic Violence Research, Part II: Prosecution
"This second part of a 3-part study of the practical implications of domestic violence research for criminal justice personnel focuses on prosecutors' policies and procedures."
Practical Implications of Current Domestic Violence Research, Part III: Judges
"This third part of a three-part study of the practical implications of domestic violence research for criminal justice personnel focuses on judges' policies and practices."
"The purpose of this work is to describe to practitioners what the research tells us about domestic violence, including its perpetrators and victims, the impact of current responses to it and, more particularly, the implications of that research for day-to-day, real-world responses to domestic violence by law enforcement officers, prosecutors and judges."
Predictors of Program Outcome and Recidivism at the Bronx Misdemeanor Domestic Violence Court (pdf)
In this study, the authors examine cases in the Bronx for possible correlates of program mandate non-completion and recidivism. A literature review of domestic violence prevention and intervention programs is presented followed by the research study and outcomes.
The findings from this second in a series of reports issued jointly by the National Institute of Justice and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention paint a picture of the violence against women as seen daily by emergency room, law enforcement, and court professionals.
Preventing and Responding to Domestic & Sexual Violence in Later Life
"This special collection brings together selected materials related to preventing and responding to elder abuse, specifically domestic and sexual violence. It highlights the complexities of older people's DV/SV experiences and emphasizes collaborative and multi-pronged approaches to addressing DV/SV in later life."
Preventing and Responding to Teen Dating Violence
This special collection emphasizes collaborative and multilevel approaches to the prevention of, and response to, teen dating violence. It draws on the work of many organizations and organizes the resources on TDV prevention and responses by different populations.
Preventing violence and reducing its impact: How development agencies can help (pdf)
This document makes the case for increased attention on the impact of violence on development by international development agencies. A key aim is to stimulate dialogue on the role of international development agencies in the prevention of violence globally, and ultimately to increase investment in a commonly agreed set of applied violence prevention strategies. The primary audience for this document is policy-makers, high-level planners, and others in the international development field.
Preventing Violence the Problem-Solving Way
April 1999 Juvenile Justice Bulletin- Analyzes intervention methods based on the hypothesis that behavior can be modified by focusing on thought processes rather than on behaviors.
Privacy of Victims' Counseling Communications
This document provides an overview of state laws and current issues related to the privacy of communications between victims and their counselors. This bulletin and the others in the Legal Series highlight various circumstances in which relevant laws are applied, emphasizing their successful implementation.
Problem-Oriented Guides for Police - Domestic Violence (pdf)
Domestic disputes are some of the most common calls for police service. This guide discusses domestic disputes that involve violence, as well as the measures that can be used to reduce them. This is an essential tool for law enforcement to help analyze and respond to their local problem.
Programming to Address Violence against Women (pdf)
"This is the second volume in a series that focuses on prevention and response tools for violence against women. The publication features eight case studies that highlight initiatives that have proven successful in combating violence against women: Algeria, Guatemala, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe. The UNFPA hopes to support current efforts in the eight case study countries and encourage other countries to take steps toward ending violence against women."
Progress of South Asian Women 2005 (pdf)
"The document presents a snapshot of women's situation in South Asia, an overview of the processes at work promoting the advancement of women, and identifies gaps during the period 2000–2005. Some of the challenges noted are disproportionate returns to contributions, the added "burden of care," a declining sex ratio, increased gender-based violence, trafficking of women and girls, and the spread of HIV/AIDS."
Progress of the World's Women 2000
UNIFEM's first issue in the biennial investigation of progress made towards a world where women live free from violence, poverty and inequality. Topics covered include women's economic security and rights, engendering governance and leadership and promoting women's human rights.
Progress of the World's Women 2002, Volume 2: Gender Equality and the Millennium Development Goals
This is the second edition of a biennial publication to track and measure the world's commitment to gender equality. It examines progress for women, or the lack of it, in education, literacy, non-agricultural wage employment and parliamentary representation.
Progress Report on Full Faith and Credit Enabling Legislation: 2000
Although the full faith and credit provision of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) explicitly directs states, union territories, and Indian tribes to enforce protection orders issued by sister states, territories, and tribes, it does not prescribe any specific enforcement procedures but instructs them to establish their own. This chapter provides a comprehensive view of the impact of the provision upon various jurisdictions.
Promising Approaches: Working with Families, Child Welfare and Domestic Violence (pdf)
The purpose of this brochure is to provide a framework for mandated reporters to create family centered approaches when domestic violence is identified and to offer guidelines to assist mandated reporters to assess accurately and sympathetically, the impact of domestic violence on children and their families.
Promoting Court Capacity to Improve Outcomes for Abused and Neglected Children (pdf)
"Written for the National Conference of State Legislators, this report outlines strategies for elected officials to raise public awareness of the court’s role in the lives of vulnerable children and families, and strengthen the collaboration between courts and the child welfare system."
WATCH is a court monitoring and research organization that monitors cases of domestic violence, sexual assault, and child abuse in Hennepin County, Minnesota. This report focuses on how misdemeanor cases of domestic violence are handled in Hennepin County’s three suburban courts. The purpose of this report is to outline how Hennepin County suburban courts can improve their response to domestic violence cases and to make specific recommendations for key changes. The observations by WATCH court monitors and the recommendations also have a broader impact as communities across the United States grapple with what seems to be an intractable social problem
Prosecutors, Kids, and Domestic Violence Cases (pdf)
"This article describes some of the issues prosecutors should be aware of when they handle domestic violence cases involving children, especially in light of recent legislation aiming to protect children."
This 145 page article is a comprehensive review and critical discussion about the laws and child protection responses that have shown to be effective.
This document reviews the full faith and credit component of the 1994 Violence Against Women Act. It provides crucial information on orders of protection for law enforcement officers who play a significant role in stopping domestic violence. This project was supported by a Cooperative Agreement awarded by the Violence Against Women Grants Office, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice, to the International Association of Chiefs of Police.
This handbook highlights the “full faith and credit” provision of the Violence Against Women Act, which requires enforcement of valid orders anywhere, regardless of where they were issued. In addition, it addresses related issues including firearms and stalking.
Psychological Abuse: A Discussion Paper (pdf)
"This paper is a review of research on psychological abuse in interpersonal and family relationships including in settings such as long-term care residences.The paper presents research findings on the personal, economic and health related costs of psychological abuse to the individual and to society, and briefly outlines legal recourses for victims. It concludes by exploring ways to recognize and address psychological abuse, while emphasizing the importance of developing holistic approaches "
Public Health Policy for Preventing Violence (pdf)
"In this paper we discuss the new vision for violence prevention embodied in the public health approach."
Realizing the Promise of Home Visitation: Addressing Domestic Violence and Child Maltreatment (pdf)
"This guide is intended to help policy makers and advocates build a strong national policy framework to maximize the effectiveness and reach of early childhood home visiting programs. It is intended to ensure that federal home visiting policies directly address: the needs of mothers and children who are experiencing or at risk of experiencing domestic violence, the link between domestic violence and child abuse and neglect, and the impact of domestic violence on the health and well-being of children and families."
Reasonable Efforts Checklist for Dependency Cases Involving Domestic Violence (pdf)
"This checklist includes easy reference bench cards for judges to consult during removal, adjudication, disposition, review, permanency, and termination hearings involving domestic violence. It is designed to aid judges in making reasonable efforts findings that are required by federal law in dependency cases involving domestic violence."
Reasonable Efforts or Unrealistic Expectations: A Look at Hennepin County Child Protection Cases (pdf)
"The purpose of this report is to identify ways in which Hennepin County could provide greater support for families throughout the Children in Need of Protection or Services (CHIPS) process and improve the systems in which judges, social workers, and guardians ad litem (GAL) are operating."
Reentry: Helping Former Prisoners Return to Communities (pdf)
"This guide offers Making Connections site teams and local partners a way to think about and reduce the negative impact of incarceration on their communities. It presents an overview of the issue, describes challenges that sites are likely to face when tackling this work, describes promising approaches, and offers resources for finding further information. Part of the TARC Resource Guide series."
Reflections from the Field: Considerations for Domestic Violence Specialists (pdf)
"Domestic violence and child protection professionals from multiple states came together to discuss the complexity of systems-change work and the continued need for a social justice framework to guide these efforts. This document is a compilation of their stories and insights as people who have worked as or supported domestic violence specialists dedicated to helping families experiencing the co-occurrence of domestic violence and child maltreatment."
Reflections from the Field: Considerations for Domestic Violence Specialists (pdf)
The purpose of this document is to share discussions that were had at a "Specialized Positions Meeting". The conversations had at this meeting focused on advances and insights based on the collective experience of specialists; framing key questions for policy makers and others interested in supporting, funding, and implementing specialist positions; and supporting those working as specialists by reaffirming the importance and difficulty of their role and proposing foundational questions for exploration to shape their role and responsibilities to guide the next generation of their work.
Report Cards on Teen Dating Violence 2008 (pdf)
Break the Cycle issued the first-ever state-by-state report cards evaluating the level of legal protection each state offers young victims of domestic and dating violence. The report was issued in conjunction with National Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Week, February 4-8, 2008.
This document, comprised of research from many leading experts in the field of domestic violence, lays out the case that the majority of high conflict child custody disputes have a history of domestic violence.
Researching Violence Against Women: A Practical Guide for Researchers and Activists
An in depth look at the issue of violence against women as a health issue and suggests tools for using research and developing data assessing this issue.
Resource Guide for Advocates & Attorneys on Interpretation Services for Domestic Violence Victims (pdf)
This document provides guidelines from the Interpretation Technical Assistance and Resource Center that focus on court interpretation for domestic and sexual violence victims with limited English proficiency. These guidelines inform how advocacy, interpretation, and language access can be integrated.
Restorative Justice and Intimate Partner Violence (pdf)
This Applied Research document discusses the role of victims within restorative justice, reviews the research on restorative justice, and discusses the potential harms and benefits of using restorative justice in cases of intimate partner violence.
Restraining Order Violators, Corrective Programming and Recidivism (pdf)
Produced by the Massachusetts Trial Court - Office of the Commissioner of Probation in 2004. This document is the summarized results of a study regarding the ongoings of a domestic violence perpetrator/offender in the criminal courts. Highlights include, the relationship between victime and offender, batterer intervention programs, as well as other forms of treatment/management.
Ruling Offers a New Protection to Victims of Assault in Minnesota (USA)
The Minnesota Supreme Court published a ruling that an individual may now be charged with the serious crime of burglary if they enter their former partner's home to commit a crime, even if they have an ownership interest in the home. This ruling provides a new type of protection for victims who do not have an active order for protection against former partners.
Safe States, 2003 edition (pdf)
This document explains how state health department injury prevention programs apply the public health model every day, achieving results that reduce injuries and save tens of thousands of lives.
Safety and Accountability: The Underpinnings of a Just Justice System
This paper first briefly describes domestic violence. It then discusses the constructs of safety and accountability. Finally it examines how court administration and the judiciary might fully respond to these underpinings of justice for adult and child victims of domestic violence.
This report examines the complexities of relationships between the criminal justice system and women's anti-violence movement. It also provides strategies for preventing violence against women in the future.
Sample National Domestic Violence Laws
This document links to a variety of national domestic violence laws. The intent of the site is that these example policies may serve as useful models or resources for other jurisdictions.
Sample Notice to Defendant Filing of Protective Order
A sample notice to a defendant filing a protective order.
San Diego Police Department: Domestic Violence Operations Manual (pdf)
This is the Domestic Violence manual used by the Police Department in San Diego. It is about 220 pages and all are printable.
Serving Women with Developmental Disabilities: Strategies for the Justice System
Women with developmental disabilities experiencie a far higher rate of sexual assault and rape than other women, and experience this victimization repeatedly. This article explores some of the issues facing police, prosecutors, judges, advocates, and other members of the criminal justice system, and provide some suggestions for how they can better serve women with developmental disabilities.
Sharwline Nicholson v. Nicholas Scoppetta - Appeals Decision
This document outlines the Appeals decision regarding the case of Nicholson (filed as a class action in federal court in 2001). This history of this decision is based on the class action lawsuit in which battered mothers and their children in New York City successfully challenged the City child welfare agency's practice and policy of removing children from battered mothers and charging the mothers with child neglect due to domestic violence. The federal court ruled that the practice is unconstitutional under federal law. The case went up on appeal.
Should Childhood Exposure to Adult Domestic Violence Be Defined as Child Maltreatment Under the Law?
Published as a chapter in Protecting Children From Domestic Violence: Strategies for Community Intervention (2004), this article reviews the research on childhood exposure to domestic violence and emerging laws aimed at protecting these children. The author concludes with an argument against assuming that childhood exposure to violence is automatically a form of child maltreatment and suggests the need to modify child protection services and the expansion of primarily voluntary community-based responses to these children and their families.
Social Worker's Practice Guide to Domestic Violence (pdf)
A guide created by the Department of Social and Health Services, for social workers working with domestic violence issues in the state of Washington. Includes information on how social workers should work with victims and perpetrators, child assessment of exposure to violence, as well as legal and policy issues in the state.
Specialized Criminal Domestic Violence Courts
National Center for State Courts surveyed courts by mail in 1998 and received approximately 200 responses indicating that the court had some type of specialized procedures for domestic violence cases. This article provides a basic overview of issues involved in the specialization of criminal domestic courts.
This report evaluates key features of Brooklyn's Felony Domestic Violence Court Model. It traces the Court's development, implementation, challenges, evolution, and expansion. A pre/post evaluation study examined how the model influences case processing, outcomes, and recidivism. The report is based on qualitative research methods, including interviews with key court and partner agency personnel, observation of courtroom proceedings, and attendance at coordination meetings.
Spousal Rape Laws 20 Years Later
Report that discusses the history of the spousal rape laws and what is recognized now.
Spouse Assault Replication Program: Studies of Effects of Arrest on Domestic Violence
"Reviews NIJ studies on arrest policies for misdemeanor domestic assault, an attempt to replicate the Minneapolis Domestic Violence Experiment (1984), which found that arrest was almost twice as effective as other police actions in preventing re-arrest."
Stalking and Domestic Violence Report to Congress (pdf)
"This report to Congress is part of an ongoing commitment to share information about strategies that show promise in the field and about the development of laws addressing stalking. It is produced in response to Subtitle F of VAWA, which directs the U.S. Attorney General to submit a report on these issues. The report includes information on cyberstalking, victim needs, law enforcement responses to stalking, and a bibliography."
Stalking and Domestic Violence: Views of Queensland Magistrates (pdf)
This paper reviews the current law on stalking and the factors that led to amendments being made to the Queensland Criminal Code in 1999. It also presents a detailed analysis of Magistrates responses to the issue of stalking in the context of making domestic violence orders.
"These Standards are presented as aspirational guidelines for the operation of legal service providers, pro bono legal service providers, and individual lawyers representing victims of domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking in civil protection order cases."
State Court Processing of Domestic Violence Cases
"Report on a study comparing domestic violence and non-domestic violence sexual and aggravated assault cases filed in state courts of 15 large urban counties during May 2002 on 11 prosecution, conviction and sentencing outcome measures."
State Housing Laws and Legislation to Ensure Housing Rights for Survivors of Violence Against Women
"Providing comprehensive information on current, pending and unsuccessfully proposed legislation protecting the housing rights of survivors of domestic violence, this document is intended for use by advocates, attorneys and organizations."
"This 2008 report provides detailed information on the status of girls in Minnesota. It also serves as a tool for advocates, researchers, and policy makers in developing a set of interventions that will ensure girls’ economic, social, and political equality in the state. "
Strategies to Improve Supervised Visitation Services in Domestic Violence Cases
This Violence Against Women Online Resources commissioned document describes the evolution of supervised visitation services for domestic violence cases, notes legal trends in these cases, describes practice concerns, and presents strategies to improve the safety of participants when supervised visitation, due to domestic violence, is court-ordered.
This toolkit is intended to assist mental health providers in developing domestic violence-informed policies for responding to subpoenas and other demands for client records.
Substance Abuse and Intimate Partner Violence
This paper discusses the link between substance abuse(SA) and intimate partner violence(IPV), the co-occurrence of SA and IPV, highlight the special role of men’s drunkenness in IPV, examine substance abuse by victims, and briefly present issues related to coordination and integration of SA and IPV services.
Substance Abuse Treatment, Prevention, and Policy (pdf)
"This article discusses the results of a study and concludes that substance abuse treatment programs should incorporate violence exposure questions into clinical use as a matter of policy."
Supervised Visitation Programs: Information for Mothers Who Have Experienced Abuse (pdf)
"This guide was created for mothers who have experienced abuse and whose children are involved in supervised visitation programs. The guide provides information about how the programs work and how mothers can prepare themselves and their children for the experience."
"This report documents important curricular developments in American legal education: the integration of domestic violence into the law school curriculum."
Teen Dating Violence: A Review of Risk Factors and Prevention Efforts (pdf)
This article provides a critical review of the dating violence literature with respect to potential risk factors for both perpetrators and victims and examines the empirical research regarding the effectiveness of prevention and intervention programs targeting teen dating violence. The document also provides recommendations for future research and potential policy implications.
This new study commissioned by NCEA highlights data sources on elder abuse in the health care, long term care, criminal justice, fiduciary, and legal services arenas, beyond adult protective services data. Such data are required as a basis for informed and enlightened social policy on the prevention and treatment of elder abuse.
This is a Canadian study, the objective of which was to examine the child welfare system’s response to child maltreatment investigations substantiated for exposure to domestic violence (EDV). The study is based on a secondary analysis of data collected in the 2003 Canadian Incidence Study of Reported Child Abuse and Neglect.
This document displays the results of a comparative overview of the child welfare response within Canadian boundaries to child exposure to domestic violence. Implications for policy are discussed.
This report conceptualizes the Community Engagement Continuum in order to categorize a range of community based approaches in the anti-violence movement and to clarify the goals of engagement. The four points on the continuum--community outreach and education, community mobilization, community organizing, and community accountability--are defined by the level to which the strategies used lead to increases in the community's capacity to transform relations of power.
The Facts about Domestic Violence
This fact sheet provides current information and statistics on domestic violence. Information includes a working definition, exploration of how different communities are affected by domestic violence and legal protections for victims of domestic violence.
The Federal Domestic Violence Laws and the Enforcement of These Laws
This chapter provides a concise summary of the federal offenses/statutes now available in both the Violence Against Women Act and the Gun Control Act to prosecute domestic violence offenders in the federal courts. It also provides a summary of selected prosecutions under each statute and a checklist of charges which may be brought buy state and local law enforcement authorities to charge offenders.
The Future of the Grave Risk Of Harm Defense in Hague Cases
This article discusses the future of the grave risk of harm defense in Hague Convention international child abduction cases. It provides an interpretation of the Hague Convention in the traditional view as well as in the context of domestic violence. Examples of court rulings are provided which evaluated the nature of abuse and the likelihood of legal protection in the country to which the children are being returned.
With this report, Minnesota Advocates highlights many of the innovative programs and legislative initiatives that advance the safety of battered refugee and immigrant women and the serious obstacles they face when accessing protection from domestic violence and in pursuing accountability for their abusers. Minnesota Advocates findings are derived from over 150 interviews, primarily in Hennepin and Ramsey Counties, with judges, lawyers, prosecutors, public defenders, advocates, probation officers, immigration officials, medical service providers, interpreters, child protection employees and others regarding their interaction with refugee and immigrant women who have been battered. This report includes an analysis of governments compliance with their obligation to protect the human rights, safety and security of refugee and immigrant women who are victims of violence.
The Greenbook Initiative Final Evaluation Report (pdf)
"The Greenbook national evaluation results are presented in three reports. The Greenbook Demonstration Initiative: Process Evaluation Report: Phase 1 focused on the planning and goal setting phase of the Greenbook initiative in the sites. This final evaluation report assesses the extent to which the Greenbook implementation activities facilitated cross-system and within system change and practice in the child welfare agencies, dependency courts, and domestic violence service providers."
A team of Minnesota judges, attorneys, advocates and social scientists created this Bench Guide for judges who are hearing Hague Convention cases involving allegations of domestic violence. The case law in the guide is focused on the District of Minnesota, but help is available for other areas of the country who would like to adapt it.
The project seeks to increase the identification of violence against women in international parental child abduction cases processed in U.S. Courts. That identification will allow the American legal community to help protect battered mothers and their children as they cross international borders to safety in the United States. Specifically, this Web site provides information and resources for individuals, attorneys and non-lawyers who litigate or participate in cases involving the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction where domestic violence is an issue.
The History of the Violence Against Women Act
Simple timeline of the events and activities leading up to, and since (to 2009), the introduction of the Violence Against Women Act.
The Impact of Conflict on Women and Girls in West and Central Africa and the UNICEF response (pdf)
"This first-of-its-kind study by UNICEF on the situation of war-affected girls and women in the region highlights innovative programmes being implemented with partners to address the impact of conflict, and recommends how UNICEF can more proactively champion the rights of girls - particularly adolescent girls."
Summary of an evaluation of the court review process for men referred to batterer counseling from the Domestic Violence Court in Pittsburgh.
The Impact of Minnesota's Felony Strangulation Law: A WATCH Report (pdf)
This report documents Hennepin County's responses to the passage of strangulation as a felony offense. Documentations from judges, advocates, and victims are given so as to give account to the benefits persons attain as a result of this passage. County breakdowns as well as the costs to implementation are also presented.
"This article provides an overview of the current recommendations for HIV testing and counseling and IPV screening and discusses issues germane to providing services to persons at risk for both HIV and IPV. The article concludes with considerations for practice and policy."
The Misuse of Police Powers in Officer Involved Domestic Violence
This document outlines some of the basics of the police culture and police training in order to gain insight into the victim’s experience. Being “culturally sensitive” helps to place in context some of the types of abuse only batterers within law enforcement inflict, how these abusers minimize and justify their behavior, and their sense of entitlement to exercise power and control over their victims.
The New Welfare Law: Implications for Battered Women
This paper is the first in a series of three papers that aim to provide relevant and practical information about the new "Welfare Law" and its effects on battered women and their children to domestic violence advocates and others working in the field.
The Probation Response to Supervision of Women Who Are Abused
This Violence Against Women Online Resources commissioned document summarizes the existing knowledge on probation's supervision of women who are abused. The document provides specific information on the role of probation in response to domestic violence cases, safety strategies for women who are abused during probation supervision, and considerations for court ordered referrals that are dangerous.
The Role of Judges in Enforcing Full Faith and Credit
It is incumbent upon judges to ensure that the process of issuing valid protection orders meets the constitutional requirements of due process so as to ensure that those orders are enforceable nationwide. This chapter defines a valid protection order and delineates the judge's role in both certification of compliance and enforcement of VAWA across state and tribal jurisdictions.
The Role of the Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner in the Prosecution of Domestic Violence Cases (pdf)
"This document examines the basic components of the domestic violence medico-legal examination; the potential for using findings from the medico-legal examination in prosecutions; and the role of the prosecutor and other Sexual Assault Response Team (SART) members in expanding forensic nursing programs to include care of the domestic violence victim."
The State of the World's Children 2009 Report
"The State of the World's Children 2009 examines critical issues in maternal and newborn health, underscoring the need to establish a comprehensive continuum of care for mothers, newborns and children. The report outlines the latest paradigms in health programming and policies for mothers and newborns, and explores policies, programmes and partnerships aimed at improving maternal and neonatal health. Africa and Asia are a key focus for this report, which complements the previous year's issue on child survival."
The Use of Expert Testimony on Intimate Partner Violence (pdf)
"This Applied Research paper presents an overview of the uses of expert testimony, the qualifications and roles of experts, the literature on the use of testimony on the effects of battering, and considerations for future research."
The Validity and Use of Evidence Concerning Battering and Its Effects in Criminal Trials (pdf)
"This report is actually three reports in one: Validity of 'Battered Woman Syndrome' in Criminal Cases; Trends in Expert Testimony on Battering; & Impact of Evidence Concerning Battering and its Effects in Criminal Trials Involving Battered Women."
The VAWA Manual: Immigration Relief for Abused Immigrants (pdf)
Manual on the preparation, filing and processing of applications pursuant to the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). Also includes detailed information on Special Immigrant Juvenile Status for Children Under Juvenile Court Jurisdiction, and U and T Non-Immigrant Visas (Victims of Crime and Trafficking). A good resource for advocates and legal professionals working with these victims.
This document takes some time to download, especially with a slow connection.
The VAWA Manual: Immigration Relief for Abused Immigrants, Index of Appendices 1-100 (pdf)
Contains a list of appendices in connection with The VAWA Manual: Immigration Relief for Abused Immigrants.
The VAWA Manual: Immigration Relief for Abused Immigrants, Index of Appendices 101-200 (pdf)
Contains a list of appendices in connection with The VAWA Manual: Immigration Relief for Abused Immigrants.
The VAWA Manual: Immigration Relief for Abused Immigrants, Index of Appendices 201-300 (pdf)
Contains a list of appendices in connection with The VAWA Manual: Immigration Relief for Abused Immigrants.
The VAWA Manual: Immigration Relief for Abused Immigrants, Index of Appendices 301-380 (pdf)
Contains a list of appendices in connection with The VAWA Manual: Immigration Relief for Abused Immigrants.
Together We Must! End Violence against Women and Girls and HIV & AIDS (pdf)
"This document represents an initial effort to draw attention to the knowledge, institutional capacity and resources needed to comprehensively address the intersection between HIV & AIDS and VAWG. The aim is to stimulate debate and collaboration among practitioners and advocates around how to identify and promote effective prevention policies and practices that can be adapted to various contexts."
Six page document that provides information on important considerations for working effectively with LGBT clients who have experienced domestic violence.
Towards a Common European Framework to Monitor Progress in Combating Violence Against Women (pdf)
"Contains proposals for policies and indicators that could form the basis for a tool to monitor State progress in combating violence against women, as well as case studies of European initiatives that illustrate good practices."
Trafficking in Persons Report 2009 (pdf)
"The ninth annual report seeks to increase global awareness of the human trafficking phenomenon by shedding new light on various facets of the problem and highlighting shared and individual efforts of the international community, and to encourage foreign governments to take effective action against all forms of trafficking in persons."
Trafficking: Considerations and Recommendations for Battered Women's Advocates (pdf)
Offers domestic violence advocates some considerations and recommendations for working with victims of trafficking. After a brief overview of statistics and issue analysis, the document provides considerations and recommendations for advocates in seven key areas: (1) Arrest, (2) Custody and Release, (3) Legal representation and the investigation process, (4) Endangerment and confidentiality, (5) Shelter Services, (6) Complex traumas and oppressions, and (7) Medical records and care.
This study examined the experiences of domestic violence of Hispanic and Anglo women recruited at a domestic violence shelter. It documented and compared the domestic violence experiences of women living in rural communities, examined the various correlates of the domestic violence, and evaluated the formal services offered to study participants by the local shelter, courts, and law enforcement over a 1-year period.
This Violence Against Women Online Resources commissioned document describes the intersection between woman abuse and parenting. The authors identify and discuss seven central themes that highlight the challenges of parenting in the context of woman abuse. Specific implications and recommendations for community and court service providers are also offered.
UNiTE to End Violence against Women: The Framework for Action (pdf)
"The overall objective is raising public awareness and increasing political will and resources for preventing and responding to all forms of violence against women and girls – in all parts of the world. The Framework for Action provides an overall “umbrella” for the efforts to be undertaken at global, regional, national and local levels. It identifies five key outcomes as benchmarks for the Campaign, to be achieved in all countries by 2015, and outlines a UN Programme of Activities and expected Outputs."
Update of the 'Battered Woman Syndrome' Critique
"This Applied Research paper reviews the definition, evolution, and utilization of “battered woman syndrome” in the courts and offers a critique of its framework and its use."
"The intent of this protocol is to assist law enforcement officers in their response to children at the scene of domestic violence incidents. In addition, the protocol outlines an effective response which includes: assessing whether children have been physically harmed, minimizing the impact and repercussions to children who are present, empowering children as much as possible in the process, maintaining victim safety, and maintaining batterer accountability."
This report contains information for practitioners and policy-makers in criminal justice and community-based agencies who share the goal of ensuring safety, justice, and support for domestic violence survivors who commit domestic violence-related crimes. The authors welcome feedback from readers on whether they know of programs specifically for DV survivors who have been arrested and charged with DV-related crimes. This information would be added to an updated report. Feedback can be sent to info@kccadv.org.
"Intimate partner violence against immigrant women is at epidemic proportions, but research has only recently begun to address the concern. A review of the legal, medical, and social science research literature reveals little data, but that which exist demonstrate that immigrant women's cultures, contexts, and legal status (a) increase vulnerability for abuse, (b) are used by batterers to control and abuse immigrant women, and (c) create barriers to women seeking and receiving help. Data also reveal that immigrant culture and context offer resiliency factors through which programs and policy can be used to better serve these populations."
Violence Against Women Act Authorization
Summarized by the National Organization for Women.
Violence Against Women Document Library
A huge variety of information and resources are categorized by topics relating to children and domestic violence, including information about advocacy, child custody and protection, and criminal justice responses.
Violence Against Women in Vietnam (pdf)
This report was prepared for the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). The report draws attention to the lack of ways for the victims of violence obtain reparation and identify the mechanisms guaranteeing the impunity of torturers.
Violence Against Women: Classic Papers
The purpose of this project was to assemble some of the classic works in the field of violence against women so that new generations of students, practitioners, and researchers would have a collective understanding of the work that has shaped the field. Included are commentaries from the original authors, when available, reflecting on why they authored the work when they did and the influence of their work on the field.
"Compiles some U.S. BJS and FBI data on violence between people who have an intimate relationship: spouses, ex-spouses, and current and former boyfriends and girlfriends. Includes violent crimes of murder, rape, sexual assault, and simple assault."
Violence in Families: Assessing Prevention and Treatment Programs
This is a full-text online book made available courtesy of The National Academies Press. This important book, published in 1998, details out chapter by chapter the different types of interventions to be utilized by different types of professionals, as well as makes recommendations.
Violence, Pregnancy and Abortion: Issues of Women's Rights and Public Health (pdf)
The second edition of this monograph reviews worldwide data on the the relationship between violence, pregnancy and abortion and suggests measures different sectors of society can take to reduce the suffering of women and girls, and to ensure their basic human right to be free from violence.
What Makes a Domestic Violence Court Work? Lessons from New York (pdf)
This document presents the New York State Model as an example of promoting victim safety and defendant accountability in cases involving domestic violence. The article concludes that although domestic violence courts can play an important role in increasing accountability for defendants and safety for victims, broader systems change is needed.
When Children Experience Domestic Violence: Expert Opinion
This document includes a summary of a ruling made by a New York Judge to stop removing children from battered women because children of such women are exposed to domestic violence.
"With an End in Sight" narrates inspiring stories showing how groups of people are moving ahead and creating new ideas to combat violence against women. It provides knowledge, insight and hope of how violence against women can be eliminated with combined effort, compelling advocacy, and wide-reaching education.
Women and Health: Today’s Evidence, Tomorrow’s Agenda (pdf)
"This report reviews evidence on the health issues that particularly affect girls and women throughout their life course. This report uses currently available data to draw attention to the consequences and costs of failing to address health issues at appropriate points in their lives."
Women in Mongolia: Mapping Progress under Transition
This publication tells of Mongolian women's experiences in the context of the political and economic transformation of their country. It shares reports of women encouraged to bear many children, inadequate health care or resources, and high rates of maternal mortality. Recommendations informed through case studies are presented for improving their social and economic status and increasing their political participation.
This report shares findings garnered from a series of interviews held with a diverse group of women from throughout the Gulf region. In telling their stories, it provides an analysis of women's increased vulnerability during times of natural disasters and lays out policy recommendations that pinpoint how best to address those needs in the wake of this disaster, and in anticipation of the next.
Women's Experiences of Abuse as a Risk Factor for Incarceration
This VAWnet document describes how violence perpetrated against women and girls increases their risk of arrest and incarceration through the intersections of interpersonal and structural violence.
Women's Human Rights: A Fact Sheet (pdf)
This factsheet outlines women's human rights violations and the obligation states have to protect those rights.
Working to End Violence Against Women in Brazil
"This VAWnet special collection highlights and celebrates the tremendous work being done in Brazil to end violence against women. The selected materials and resources provide a snapshot of the magnitude of the problem and highlight various recommendations for public policy as well as opportunities for community involvement and action."
World Report on Violence against Children
"This book addresses all violence against children within the family, schools, alternative care institutions and detention facilities, places where children work and communities. It lists the relevant international and national legal instruments and standards. It also describes the nature and impact of all forms of violence, indicating possible risk and causal factors. Finally, and most important, based on existing evidence and concrete examples, it provides detailed recommendation on measures to be taken to enhance the protection of children from violence."
This handbook contains information that will help you learn about: domestic violence and its impact on adolescents; evaluating risk and safety planning for victims of domestic violence; coordinated justice responses to domestic violence and the role of juvenile custody programs and probation; risk assessment and reduction with adolescent perpetrators of intimate partner and family violence; promising practices for adolescent perpetrators of intimate partner and family violence; and resources on domestic violence for adolescent victims and perpetrators.
LGBTQ
This report documents intimate partner violence (IPV) within lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and HIV-affected (LGBTQH) communities. It highlights the intricacies of IPV within LGBTQH communities, examines the barriers to safety for LGBTQH survivors, and outlines vital recommendations for responding to, preventing, and eradicating LGBTQH IPV.
File is large and may take a few minutes to download
Annual Report on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Domestic Violence in 2000 (pdf)
This report describes incidents of domestic violence in the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community that were reported during the year 2000 to community-based anti-violence organizations in nine regions throughout the U.S.
Anti-Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender National Hate Crimes Report in 2003 (pdf)
Discusses the trends in violence towards the lesbian, gay, transgender, and bisexual communities.
Anti-Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender National Hate Crimes Report in 2005 (pdf)
Discusses hate crimes of violence towards the lesbian, gay, transgender, and bisexual communities.
Anti-Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Violence in 2004 (pdf)
This report is about bias related incidents targeting lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals in the US.
Body Evidence: Intimate Violence against South Asian Women in America
"In Body Evidence, more than twenty scholars and public health professionals uncover the unique challenges faced by victims of violence in intimate spaces . . . within families, communities and trusted relationships in South Asian American communities. Topics include cultural obsession with women's chastity and virginity; the continued silence surrounding intimate violence among women who identify themselves as lesbian, bisexual, or transgender; the consequences of refusing marriage proposals or failing to meet dowry demands; and, ultimately, the ways in which the United States courts often confuse and exacerbate the plights of these women."
This report provides an in-depth understanding of domestic violence and as well as the service utilization among eight ethnic minority communities and LGBT populations in King county, Washington.
Domestic Violence and the Gay Community: A Right to Peace and Safety
An article on the myths and realities about domestic violence in the LGBT community. Also included is a list of resources for LGBT victims of domestic violence.
Domestic violence in gay and lesbian relationships: An overview (pdf)
Domestic violence in lesbian and gay relationships has typically been an under-researched area.This overview highlights issues and implications of domestic violence in lesbian relationships and makes reference to general issues and to issues confronting gay men where these are useful.
Domestic Violence in Lesbian, Gay, Transgender and Bisexual Communities: Participant Manual (pdf)
This manual gives health and human service providers the knowledge and skills necessary to sensitively and effectively respond to LGTB victims of domestic violence.
Domestic Violence in Lesbian, Gay, Transgender and Bisexual Communities: Trainers Manual (pdf)
This manual gives trainers for health and human service providers the knowledge and skills necessary to sensitively and effectively respond to LGTB victims of domestic violence.
Emerging issues in domestic/family violence research
"This paper presents an overview of the key emerging issues in Australian domestic and family violence research in the context of gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and intersex communities; the elderly; those with disabilities; people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds; Indigenous communities; homelessness; the impact on children; and issues around perpetrator programs."
Employment Rights for Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Domestic Violence Survivors (pdf)
This fact sheet explains the rights and potential for double discrimination that lesbian, bisexual and transgender women may face in the workplace.
Extent, Nature, and Consequences of Intimate Partner Violence (pdf)
"Presents findings from the NVAW Survey on the extent, nature, and consequences of IPV in the US. The survey compares victimization rates among women and men, specific racial groups, Hispanics and non-Hispanics, and same-sex and opposite-sex cohabitants. "
Hate Violence against Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender People in the United States (pdf)
This is a report about bias-motivated incidents targeting lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans-gender, queer, and questioning (LGBT) individuals in the U.S. during the year 2008. The report includes statistics on violence against LGBT people, stories from survivors, information on where to get help, safety tips, and information on hate crime laws.
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Domestic Violence in 2001 (pdf)
"Provides a definition of dv inclusive to LGBT survivors; a state-by-state analysis of legal protections for LGBT survivors; U.S. statistics highlighting LGBT experiences of domestic violence; survivor stories and local reports from member agencies."
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Domestic Violence in 2002 (pdf)
"This report describes incidents of domestic violence (DV) in the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community that were reported during the year 2002 to community-based anti-violence organizations in eleven regions throughout the U.S."
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Domestic Violence: 2003 Supplement (pdf)
"Summarizes information about incidents of domestic violence reported in 2003 by members and affiliates of NCAVP, a network of 24 lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community-based anti-violence organizations and programs in US & Canada."
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Domestic Violence in the United States in 2006 (pdf)
The report describes within the LGBT community the statistics and numbers for murders, violence, victimizations, sexual orientation of victims, age, race, etc and breaks them down by various cities. The report ends with recommendations.
Making Women's Shelters Accessible to Transgendered Women
This manual was written to assist shelters for abused women in making the changes required to provide transgendered women with the respectful and supportive services that all women deserve.
More Than A Name: State Sponsored Homophobia and Its Consequences in Southern Africa (pdf)
This report evaluates the effects of State-sponsored homophobia on the human rights of sexual and gender minorities in Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
New York State Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence Fall 2010 Bulletin (pdf)
In the latest issue of the NY State Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence's (OPDV) quarterly newsletter, topics include Domestic Violence and Suicide, Media Coverage of Domestic Violence, Legislative Update, Model Guidelines for College Campuses, and LGBT Curriculum update.
On the Road to Equality: Statewide Findings & Policy Recommendations (pdf)
"A supplement to the Status of Girls in Minnesota report by the Women’s Foundation of Minnesota in partnership with the Institute for Women’s Policy Research. Focus groups were conducted in 18 Minnesota communities that included African American, Latino, Native American, Asian American, LBT (Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender), and disabilities communities — to share key research findings and gain community input. This report captures the voices and policy recommendations of these communities, nonprofit and public leaders."
Open Minds Open Doors: Transforming Domestic Violence Programs to Include LGBTQ Survivors (pdf)
This guide outlines the process that The Network and La Red suggest for making domestic violence programs more LGBTQ-inclusive. Each of the chapters focuses on one aspect of that process in detail, offering ideas for implementation.
Large file; may take a few minutes to download
Psychological Abuse: A Discussion Paper (pdf)
"This paper is a review of research on psychological abuse in interpersonal and family relationships including in settings such as long-term care residences.The paper presents research findings on the personal, economic and health related costs of psychological abuse to the individual and to society, and briefly outlines legal recourses for victims. It concludes by exploring ways to recognize and address psychological abuse, while emphasizing the importance of developing holistic approaches "
Raising Our Voices: Queer Asian Women's Response to Relationship Violence
This report is based on information derived from both the local and national groups. For purposes of the report all are referred to as focus groups. The goal of this report is to encourage all domestic violence programs to provide services to not only the queer Asian women's community, but to all under-served communities.
Sexual Orientation and Human Rights in the Americas (pdf)
This document highlights the human rights violations (institutional and individual) of sexual minorities in the Americas.
The Danger Assessment is a tool that was developed to help determine the level of danger an abused woman has of being killed by her intimate partner. There are two parts to the tool: a calendar and a 20-item scoring instrument. The original danger assessment is available in English, Spanish, Portuguese and French (Canadian).
The Facts about Domestic Violence
This fact sheet provides current information and statistics on domestic violence. Information includes a working definition, exploration of how different communities are affected by domestic violence and legal protections for victims of domestic violence.
Six page document that provides information on important considerations for working effectively with LGBT clients who have experienced domestic violence.
Violence Against Women: Classic Papers
The purpose of this project was to assemble some of the classic works in the field of violence against women so that new generations of students, practitioners, and researchers would have a collective understanding of the work that has shaped the field. Included are commentaries from the original authors, when available, reflecting on why they authored the work when they did and the influence of their work on the field.
"This report, the product of a 2009 survey of victim assistance providers and LGBTQ anti-violence programs throughout the United States, describes widespread gaps in victim services for LGBTQ victims of crime and recommends steps to improve both the services and their accessibility."
Manuals/Guides/Reports
Victim Advocate Guide: Intimate Partner Violence and Combat Experience (pdf)
This resource provides guidance on how to assess and respond to the heightened risk of severe violence, suicide, and homicide linked to the co-occurrence of combat trauma and Intimate Partner Violence.
"This report provides an analysis of patterns of human rights abuses against women who are exposed to the risk of or are already living with HIV in rural contexts of widespread poverty and unemployment."
(Un)heard Voices: Domestic Violence in the Asian American Community (pdf)
This publication is based on the results of a focus group with Asian immigrant women and Asian American women from different backgrounds. Various questions and issues are addressed such as identifying victims and perpetrators, prevalence of domestic violence in Asian communities, barriers confronting Asian women and more. The report also gives recommendations to service providers and a national list of organizations committed to serving battered Asian women.
15 Years of the United Nations Rapporteur on Violence against Women, Its Causes and Consequences (pdf)
This report reviews the status of violence against women as researched in 14 annual reports, 32 country mission reports, and 11 communication reports published as recently as December 2008. The report focuses on reproductive health and rights, poverty, migration, internally displaced persons (IDPs), women refugees, trafficking, aging, and adolescent girls. It also highlights how the mandate on violence against women has changed, what has been learned, and problems still to be addressed.
2008 Status of Egyptian Women Report (pdf)
"The Egyptian Center for Women's Rights recently released its 2008 report on the status of Egyptian women. The report evaluated the current situation for women in Egypt, identifying the particular areas where action is most urgently needed in order to advance women's rights within the country."
2009 KIDS COUNT Data Book: State Profiles of Child Well-being (pdf)
This 20th annual KIDS COUNT Data Book provides national and state-by-state information and statistical trends on the conditions of America’s children and families. The book reports on indicators of educational achievement, economic well-being, and health, among others. The book also ranks states on a composite indicator of child wellness, aggregating measures such as infant mortality rate, graduation rates, and children in poverty.
2010 Family Violence Legislative Update (pdf)
Every year, the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges Family Violence Department writes a legislative update. This document provides legislative trends and new domestic violence related legislation for most states. Only those states which did not have legislative sessions in 2010 have no new reports.
2010 Femicide Report (pdf)
Each year, the Minnesota Coalition for Battered Women monitors information about women and children murdered in our state to educate the public about the lethality of domestic violence and child abuse. This report is compiled from news accounts and information provided by law enforcement agencies, county attorneys, court administrators, battered women's programs, and family members and friends of murder victims.
2010 State Law Report Cards on Teen Dating Violence
A 2010 State-by-State Teen Dating Violence Report Card from Break The Cycle. Includes recommendations for improving state laws and policies to better protect victims, changes in the laws that affect teens experiencing abuse, and a revised scoring system that better assesses the impact of state laws on teens seeking protection orders.
2011 Minnesota Femicide Report (pdf)
The Minnesota Coalition for Battered Women (MCBW) tracks all homicides in the State of Minnesota that result from domestic violence involving a current or former intimate partner. This is the 2011 reporting of those findings.
A Guide to Addressing Teen Dating Violence and Sexual Assault in a School Setting (pdf)
"This guide details schools' responsibility to take a leadership role to prevent and respond to teen dating and sexual violence in schools and in the community. While the information is specific to California, much can be applied nationally."
A Judicial Guide to Child Safety in Custody Cases (pdf)
"This Judicial Guide contains 14 bench cards which provide an easy-to-use checklist system for judges at critical decision-making points throughout child custody cases, as well as a supplemental guide which provides additional information about in- and out-of-court behaviors, best interest of the child, and order issuance and enforcement. "
A Practical Guide to Evaluating Domestic Violence Coordinating Councils (pdf)
The goal of this manual is to make evaluation a little easier by providing some practical strategies for evaluating the work of your council.
A Response to the Abuse of Vulnerable Adults (pdf)
This report document is the result of a 2000 survey of state adult protective services.
"This guidebook identifies key best practices to prevent and respond to sexual and intimate partner violence and stalking. It also provides short and long term action recommendations for colleges and universities to implement in four focused areas: preparedness, prevention, response and recovery."
Achieving Equity for Women: Policy Alternatives for the New Administration Symposium Report (pdf)
"This report summarizes the policy research symposium convened by the Institute for Women’s Policy Research and the Wellesley Centers for Women, held in Washington, DC on April 2, 2009. The symposium highlighted four policy areas in which public policy can work to improve the status of women in the United States: women and economic recovery; retirement, social security and aging; quality early care and education; and women and health care reform."
Adaptation Guidelines for Serving Latino Children and Families Affected by Trauma (pdf)
"This document was created by experts in the fields of child trauma research, clinical practice, policy and cultural diversity to serve as a resource for anyone who works with Latino families who have experienced traumatic events. There are 12 priority areas covered ranging from micro issues (assessment and provision of therapy) to macro issues (organizational competence and policy). Each one includes an overview of the priority area, recommendations for improving practice based on that priority area, and additional resources for further information. Portions of these guidelines are geared for advocates and therapists, while other priority areas are designed for program administrators and policy makers."
Additional Scripts for Clinic Assessment (pdf)
This document is created for healthcare professionals and provides a series of scripted questions and responses when working with victims of violence. The information is intended to help communicate all the information needed to give to a patient as well as responding to immediate safety issues and making referrals.
Addressing Gender-based Violence: UNFPA Strategy and Framework for Action (pdf)
This report, grounded in UNFPA's overarching goal of eliminating violence against women and girls, identifies particular areas where action is most urgently needed and proposes general policy frameworks for combating gender-based violence.
Addressing the Intersection: Preventing Violence and Promoting Healthy Eating and Active Living (pdf)
"This document provides an explanation of the inter-relationship between violence and healthy eating and activity. The findings and recommendations offered in this paper can support practitioners and advocates in their work to prevent chronic disease in communities heavily impacted by violence. "
Advancing the Nation's Health: A Guide to Public Health Research Needs, 2006-2015 (pdf)
"This guide is meant to serve as a critical resource for research areas that should be addressed during the next decade by CDC and its partners in response to current and future public health needs and events."
"This report indicates that persons who report having experienced IPV during their lifetimes also are more likely to report current adverse health conditions and health risk behaviors, underscoring the need for IPV assessment in health-care settings."
Advocacy Beyond Leaving: Helping Battered Women in Contact With Current or Former Partners (pdf)
A guide for domestic violence advocates providing information on improving outreach and responses to domestic violence victims who are in contact with their partners or children’s fathers. This guide addresses how to identify safety strategies, find resources and to know what to say when a victim’s focus and goals are to remain in contact, remain in the relationship or to improve their children’s relationship with their father.
AIDS Accountability Scorecard on Women 2009 (pdf)
"The first ever global scorecard analyzing country responses to the specific needs and vulnerabilities of women in the context of the AIDS epidemic. This independent assessment, developed through a comprehensive consultative process with global health experts and civil society representatives from across the world, evaluates data that all governments provide as part of the 2001 United Nations Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS."
American Indians and Crime (pdf)
"Reports rates and characteristics of violent crimes experienced by Native Americans and summarizes data on Native Americans in the criminal justice system."
Offers information to health care providers and counselors on the importance of screening for reproductive coercion. Also offers a framework for assessing and responding to sensitive reproductive information.
Assisting Immigrant and Refugee Women Abused by Ther Sponsors: A Guide for Service Providers (pdf)
This guide is written for social service providers in Canada who deal with immigrant and refugee women who are abused by their visa sponsors under the family sponsorship program.
Breaking the Links Between Poverty and Violence against Women: A Resource Guide (pdf)
"This resource guide explores the ways in which poverty and violence are linked. It acknowledges the efforts of women’s groups, community organizations and service agencies that support low-income women to take control of and deal with the poverty and violence in their lives. Another area of focus is to inspire community-based groups to take action on poverty and violence issues by providing practical examples of what others are doing."
Breaking the Silence: A Training Manual for Activists, Advocates, and Latina Organizers (pdf)
"A guide for domestic violence service providers, activists, counselors and others focused on advancing the rights of battered immigrant women. Based on the FVPF's successful pilot project, the manual provides essential details on how to start organizing and maintaining a group of activists and counselors. This guide is also available in Spanish."
Breaking the Silence: A Training Manual for Activists, Advocates, and Latina Organizers (Spanish) (pdf)
"The first ever guide for domestic violence service providers, activists, counselors and others focused on advancing the rights of battered immigrant women. Based on the FVPF's successful pilot project, the manual provides essential details on how to start organizing and maintaining a group of activists and counselors. This guide is also available in English."
Bridging the Gap: Financing Gender Equality (pdf)
"This booklet is intended for those who wish to better understand the links between gender equality, public policy formation and development financing. It highlights the importance of expanding policy choices in setting the framework for national development plans, and emphasizes the central role of strategies to advance gender equality and the empowerment of women in achieving development effectiveness."
Bringing the Greenbook to Life: a Resource Guide for Communities (pdf)
"This guide is designed for communities seeking to develop interventions that will improve their responses to families suffering both domestic violence and child maltreatment."
Broken Trust: Elders, Family & Finances (pdf)
"This is a report of a collaborative study of elder financial abuse. The study examines the prevalence as well as characteristics of victims and perpetrators of financial elder abuse and offers suggestions for identifying and addressing this problem. "
Building Academic Capacity and Expertise in the HEALTH EFFECTS OF VIOLENCE AND ABUSE (pdf)
This report was created from the Proceedings from a Pre-Conference Symposium at the Family Violence Prevention Fund which offers a blueprint on advancing professional health education from a perspective on the health effects on violence and abuse.
Building Capacity in Child Welfare Systems: Domestic Violence Specialized Positions (pdf)
"The report seeks to assist policymakers and practitioners in developing specialist positions that are tailored to the circumstances of their communities and states. We offer observations about initial expectations for these positions and the evolution of the positions over time. We also set forth composite examples of each of the major types of specialized positions and lay out the components of each, including responsibilities, auspices and settings, competencies, and funding sources. By doing so, we highlight different approaches to improving understanding 2 of domestic violence and strengthening the likelihood of achieving safety for non-offending parents and their children."
Building Domestic Violence Health Care Responses in Indian Country: A Promising Practices Report (pdf)
A 2008 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report on health and violence found that 39 percent of Native women reported that they were victims of intimate partner violence some time in their lives. To address this problem, the Family Violence Prevention Fund (FVPF) worked with more than 100 Indian, Tribal and Urban health care facilities as well as domestic violence (DV) advocacy programs across the United States to improve the health system response to domestic violence. This report explains how the work they accomplished can be replicated.
Building Domestic Violence Health Care Responses: A Promising Practices Report (pdf)
"A new report that documents dramatic improvements in the health system’s response to domestic violence at Indian, Tribal and Urban health care facilities across the United States. It offers a series of recommendations to continue the progress and ensure that many more American Indian/Alaska Native domestic violence victims get the help that they need when they seek medical care at clinics and hospitals."
California Batterer Intervention Systems Study
This study on batterer intervention programs in the state of California encompasses 5 counties, 53 batterer intervention programs that provide client data, and over 1,000 men enrolled in those programs. The study found that the individual characteristics of the offenders, and not the program they were enrolled in nor the features of the specific court they were sentenced in, were the strongest predictors of outcomes.
Child Abuse and Neglect Fatalities: Statistics and Interventions (pdf)
"This 2008 brief report presents statistical information on maltreatment-related fatalities of children including who are the victims and perpetrators and how communities often respond. "
"Child and Family Service Reviews (CFSRs) evaluate public child welfare systems to determine how well they achieve safety, permanency, and well-being in difficult situations of neglect, physical and sexual abuse, and co-existing domestic violence, substance abuse, mental health issues, poverty, and community violence. This guide can help stakeholders develop effective (Program Improvement Plans) PIPs for achieving safety, permanency, and well-being in domestic violence cases, and to identify or anticipate related technical assistance needs."
Child Maltreatment 2006 Report (pdf)
"The latest Child Maltreatment annual report reports statistical data from the states on reports of maltreatment, characteristics of the children involved and their perpetrators, fatalities tied to maltreatment, and services provided to prevent maltreatment or to address the consequences of maltreatment."
Child Protection Information Sheets (pdf)
"This booklet comprises 14 information sheets which highlight how child protection is crucial to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals. Covering different forms of abuse, these sheets also outline how to build a protective environment for children and what UNICEF is doing on the ground to protect children."
Child Support Protocol: A Guide for Integrated Domestic Violence Courts (pdf)
A best practices guide for legal professionals who oversee integrated domestic violence court cases involving child custody issues.
This handbook is for domestic violence specialists and trainers in police departments. It is designed to increase the understanding of children’s exposure to domestic violence by officers responding to these situations.
This 26-page resource helps educators understand how violence affects children at different ages, what teachers may see in the classroom, teaching strategies, handling parent-attended events, and supporting students who disclose.
Community Corrections Response To Domestic Violence: Guidelines For Practice (pdf)
"This document provides a series of guidelines for community corrections professionals that support a proactive community supervision approach for domestic violence cases. It pulls together in one place for community corrections professionals and allied justice system and community-based services the conceptual information and practical tools to develop or enhance effective programs."
Community Engagement Curriculum Guide (pdf)
This training curriculum is based on a report from the API Institute on Domestic Violence titled "The Community Engagement Continuum: Outreach, Mobilization, Organizing and Accountability to Address Violence Against Women in Asian & Pacific Islander Communities".
Confronting Sexual Violence in Conflict Situations (pdf)
"This document is one of four sections to be published in the organization's upcoming handbook, 'Women Claiming Justice: Using International Law in Conflict and Post-Conflict Situations'. The report outlines the various manifestations of sexual violence frequently exhibited in conflict zones, specifically highlighting rape and sexual abuse, domestic violence, sexual exploitation, and trafficking. Also provides a “Peace Builders Action Toolkit” with resources for activists working to create peace and justice. "
Costs of Intimate Partner Violence Against Women in the United States (pdf)
"Describes briefly the development of the requested study; presents findings for the estimated incidence, prevalence, and costs of nonfatal and fatal IPV; identifies future research needs; and highlights CDC's research priorities for IPV prevention."
Country Reports on Human Rights Practices
Country Reports on Human Rights Practices from 1999 til present
Country Reports on Human Rights Practices: 1999
This report discusses the status of internationally recognized human rights in various countries.
Covering Domestic Violence: A Guide for Journalists and Other Media Professionals
The information in this guide will help link journalists to domestic violence advocates in their community, who can be utilized as sources to improve coverage. By accurately covering domestic violence homicides and avoiding sources and questions that perpetuate myths, journalists can make a significant difference in helping the community understand how domestic violence can go unchecked to the point of murder.
Crime and the Nation's Households, 2003 (pdf)
"Presents national prevalence estimates for the percentage of households with one or more persons who were victimized by crime as measured by the National Crime Victimization Survey."
Crime and the Nation's Households, 2004 (pdf)
"Presents information on the percentage of households or persons in households who are victimized as measured by the National Crime Victimization Survey. Findings are presented by region; urban, suburban or rural location; and by household size."
Criminal Victimization, 2008 (pdf)
"The report includes data on violent crimes (rape/sexual assault, robbery, aggravated assault and simple assault), property crimes (burglary, motor vehicle theft and property theft), and personal theft (pocket picking and purse snatching), and the characteristics of victims of these crimes. The report also includes estimates of intimate partner violent crime and use of firearms and other weapons in the commission of violent crime overall."
Culture Handbook (pdf)
"This handbook is designed to be used by advocates and professionals who work with those who are victims of domestic and sexual violence. It provides some basic information on how to understand culture and begin the process of challenging oneself to become more aware of the ways in which culture impacts our work and the lives of those who are victims."
Date Rape: A Hidden Crime (pdf)
"This Australian report provides an overview of main issues underlying date rape including: incidence, difficulties in measuring extent; complicated issues around sexual consent; impact on victims; and, obstacles and options in prevention and treatment."
"This report articulates a corporate strategy for working with governments and partners in promoting gender equality."
Developmental Repair: A Training Manual (pdf)
Washburn Center for Children has recently completed a training manual on Developmental Repair – the treatment framework that has been developed and implemented in their Day Treatment Program under the clinical leadership of Anne Gearity PhD, LICSW. It is an intensive treatment model for working with young children who have experienced complex trauma and present with aggressive and disruptive symptoms.
Developmental Status and Early Intervention Service Needs of Maltreated Children (pdf)
"In this report, published by the Institute for Social and Economic Development, the authors analyze findings from the National Early Intervention Longitudinal Study and the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being. They provide information about the developmental status and early intervention service needs of children under age three who are substantiated for maltreatment. Topics include: 1) the extent to which maltreated children have developmental problems or are subject to factors associated with poor developmental outcomes; 2) the services maltreated children might be eligible for and ones they receive through the child welfare systems; 3) case characteristics, such as child welfare setting, that impact the effect of developmental services; and 4) existing barriers to services."
DID YOU KNOW YOUR RELATIONSHIP AFFECTS YOUR HEALTH? (pdf)
A tri-fold patient safety card which contains a checklist to assess safety, healthy/unhealthy relationships, and children's exposure to violence. The card also provides resources and information on how to get help.
DID YOU KNOW YOUR RELATIONSHIP AFFECTS YOUR HEALTH? (Spanish) (pdf)
A tri-fold patient safety card which contains a checklist to assess safety, healthy/unhealthy relationships, and children's exposure to violence. The card also provides resources and information on how to get help.
Domestic Violence against Women (pdf)
"This briefing kit in Spanish provides concise information on violence against women (VAW) in Latin America and the Caribbean. It consists of fact sheets in easy-to understand language, and is aimed at parliamentarians to help them advance or amend legislation on VAW."
Domestic Violence Against Women and Girls (pdf)
"UNICEF's report discusses the scope and magnitude of the problem, causes and consequences of domestic violence, the socio-economic costs of violence, strategies and interventions, and state obligations with regard to domestic violence."
Domestic Violence Against Women in Albania (pdf)
"This qualitative report examines the prevalence of domestic violence in Albania, including forms of domestic violence and complicating factors."
Domestic Violence and Financial Well-Being: How Research Can Advance Practice and Policy (pdf)
In May of 2011 The Center for Financial Security, the U.S. Department of the Treasury, and the Social Security Administration hosted the workshop "Exploring the Intersection Between Financial Literacy and Domestic Violence".
This article is an issue brief for one of the six presentations from the workshop. This particular article summarizes current thinking about how to assess the impact of domestic violence (DV) on women’s financial well-being.
The other presentation briefs are linked in MINCAVA as well, but to quickly access all six, you may also go to http://cfs.wisc.edu/events/DV_Workshop.aspx.
Domestic Violence Counts 2008: A 24-hour census of domestic violence shelters and services
This report is the most recent data documenting the number of individuals who seek services in a 24 hour period, the types of services requested, the number of service requests that went unmet because of lack of resources, and the issues and barriers that domestic violence programs are facing as they strive tirelessly to provide services to victims of domestic violence. Also contains a state by state report on services requested and provided.
Domestic Violence Counts 2009: A 24-Hour Census of Domestic Violence Shelters and Services
"A one-day report, documenting the number of adults and children seeking domestic violence services in the U.S., the types of services requested, the number of service requests that went unmet because of lack of resources, and the issues and barriers that domestic violence programs are facing as they strive to provide services to victims of domestic violence. Also provides a state by state summary of services requested and provided. "
Domestic Violence Counts 2010: A 24-hour census of domestic violence shelters and services (pdf)
For the fifth consecutive year, NNEDV conducted the one-day, unduplicated count of adults and children seeking domestic violence services in the U.S., documenting the number of individuals who sought services, the types of services requested, the number of service requests that went unmet because of lack of resources, and the issues and barriers that domestic violence programs are facing as they strive to provide services to victims of domestic violence. The results are published in this report.
This 2008 report contains data documenting the number of individuals who seek services in a 24 hour period, the types of services requested, the number of service requests that went unmet because of lack of resources, and the issues and barriers that domestic violence programs are facing as they strive tirelessly to provide services to victims of domestic violence. Also contains a state by state report on services requested and provided.
Domestic Violence in Vietnamese Communities (pdf)
A fact sheet that provides statistics on domestic violence in Vietnamese communities, a selection of translated materials for victims and service providers, as well as directories for international resources.
Domestic violence laws in Australia
The report analyzes domestic violence legislation in all Australian States and Territories and in New Zealand in order to assist the Australian Government’s National Plan to Reduce Violence Against Women and their Children. The report notes gaps and overlaps between State and Territory domestic violence protection orders and the Family Law Act 1975.
Domestic Violence Materials in Asian & Pacific Islander Languages (pdf)
A list of websites and weblinks containing domestic violence related resources in various Asian and Pacific Islander languages.
Domestic Violence Risk Assessment Bench Guide
"A research-based bench guide for use by Minnesota judges at all stages of family, Order for Protection, civil or criminal cases involving domestic violence."
Dossier on Domestic Violence in Latin America and the Caribbean
"This publication includes a detailed balance of the work developed in Latin American and the Caribbean to eliminate violence against women. The objective of the publication is to have a tool that will help to design future activities in a more accurate way that take into account the economic, cultural and geographical women's reality of the Region in order to eliminate domestic violence. It also contains guidelines and recommendations for the future work on women’s rights for a life free of violence."
Effective Police Responses to Violence Against Women (pdf)
This Handbook is designed to assist and guide police officers in the prevention of,
and response to, violence against women. While it has global applications, it is
designed primarily for use by police in transitional and developing countries where
institutional means to protect women from violence have not yet been created or
implemented.
This handbook was also created in conjunction with a Training Curriculum
Elder Abuse: A Women’s Issue (pdf)
"This report brings together experts and organizations that work to combat the problem of elder abuse, sharing its many dimensions and complexities, how it affects women in a disproportionate manner, and seeking effective solutions."
Eliminating Violence against Children (pdf)
"Jointly produced by UNICEF and the Inter-Parliamentary Union, this handbook describes measures parliamentarians can take to end violence against children: they can legislate, oversee government activities, allocate financial resources and, as leaders in their nations and communities, raise awareness of issues."
Ending Violence Against Women: Programming for Prevention, Protection and Care (pdf)
"This handbook, intended primarily for development practitioners, provides practical points to consider when designing and implementing projects addressing violence against women. It is a collection of good practices drawn from ten case studies."
Enforcing Domestic Violence Firearm Prohibitions: A Report on Promising Practices (pdf)
"This report highlights promising practices currently employed around the United States and in tribal jurisdictions that represent innovative approaches to enforcing domestic violence firearm prohibitions. It provides brief descriptions of programs that are located primarily in law enforcement agencies, prosecutors’ offices, courts, and probation departments."
Engaging Boys and Men in Gender Transformation: The Group Education Manual (pdf)
"This manual offers trainers an array of participatory experiential exercises to reach men (and their partners), exploring gender socialization and its impact on HIV prevention and care. Piloted in Ethiopia, Namibia, South Africa and Tanzania, the manual is designed to assist trainers in developing curricula to work with men and boys on gender, HIV and AIDS issues."
"This manual is designed to help violence prevention organizations hire an empowerment evaluator who will assist them in building their evaluation capacity through a learn-by-doing process of evaluating their own strategies. It is for state and local leaders and staff members of organizations, coalitions, government agencies, and/or partnerships working to prevent sexual violence, intimate partner violence, youth violence, suicide, and/or child maltreatment."
Extent, Nature, and Consequences of Intimate Partner Violence (pdf)
"Presents findings from the NVAW Survey on the extent, nature, and consequences of IPV in the US. The survey compares victimization rates among women and men, specific racial groups, Hispanics and non-Hispanics, and same-sex and opposite-sex cohabitants. "
Facts & Stats: Domestic Violence in Asian, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Homes (pdf)
"Facts & Stats raises awareness about the experiences of Asian, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander battered women; counters denial about the problem; emphasizes the need for socio-culturally effective prevention and intervention; and serves to guide future research and inform public policy."
Facts About Intimate Partner Strangulation (pdf)
A recent fact sheet created by the Minnesota Coalition for Battered Women as part of a statewide training for law enforcement officers, prosecutors, and advocates titled the Anatomy of Strangulation.
Family and Intimate Partner Homicide Virginia, 2007 (pdf)
The first report to analyze fatal cases of intimate-partner and family violence in the state of Virginia over a nine-year period. Risk factors, specific populations, and other findings are discussed.
Family Team Conferences in Domestic Violence Cases: Guidelines for Practice (2nd Edition) (pdf)
These guidelines lay out steps to decide whether a family with a history of domestic violence is a good candidate for a Family Team Conference, and to prepare and conduct a conference that results in the best possible child welfare decision and safety for all. Case scenarios offer examples of different circumstances involving domestic violence and describe how an FTC, if planned and structured properly, can safely address case goals.
Family Violence Death Review Committee First Annual Report (pdf)
The Family Violence Death Review Committee's overarching goal is to contribute to the prevention of family violence and family violence deaths in New Zealand. The report outlines the objectives and achievements for the first year as well as goals and recommendations for the following year.
Family Violence in Canada: A Statistical Profile: 2009
This is the twelfth annual Family Violence in Canada report produced by the Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics under the Federal Family Violence Initiative. This annual report provides the most current data on the nature and extent of family violence in Canada, as well as trends over time, as part of the ongoing initiative to inform policy makers and the public about family violence issues. Each year the report has a different focus. This year, the focus of the report is a profile of shelters that provide residential services to women and children fleeing abusive situations. Data for this profile come from the Transition Home Survey, a biennial census of residential facilities for female victims of family violence in Canada. In addition, using police-reported data, the report also presents fact sheets, data tables and figures examining spousal violence, family violence against children and youth, family violence against seniors (aged 65 years and older), and family-related homicides.
Family Violence Risk Assessment and Risk Management Framework (pdf)
Developed by independent experts and Victorian service providers, the framework includes three practical guides on identifying and assessing family violence, and includes case studies.
Family Violence- A National Legal Response Final Report (pdf)
This full Report by the Australian Law Reform Commission (ALRC) and the New South Wales Law
Reform Commission (the Commissions) sets out in detail the issues raised by the Terms of Reference, and the research and evidence base upon which the Commissions’ recommendations were formulated, including a thorough discussion of stakeholder views and the Commissions’ conclusions.
For an accessible overview of the policy framework and recommendations outlined in this two-volume final report, see Family Violence- A National Legal Response Summary Report.
Family Violence- A National Legal Response Summary Report (pdf)
This 76-page Summary Report provides an accessible overview of the policy framework and recommendations in the two-volume Final Report, Family Violence - A National Legal Response. It offers a consideration of the framework for the reform, including a description of the development of the key principles underpinning the 187 final recommendations. The recommendations are then considered as an expression of two principal themes—improving legal frameworks and improving practice, concluding with a summary of the net effect of the recommendations.
"Themes from this meeting hosted by the Government of Norway in Oslo include: macroeconomic policies, public finance and gender-responsive budgeting, bilateral and multilateral aid, and funding the women’s movement."
Fourth National Incidence Study of Child Abuse and Neglect (NIS-4)
"The NIS is a congressionally mandated, periodic research effort to assess the incidence of child abuse and neglect in the United States. The NIS gathers information from multiple sources to estimate the number of children who are abused or neglected, providing information about the nature and severity of the maltreatment, the characteristics of the children, perpetrators, and families, and the extent of changes in the incidence or distribution of child maltreatment since the time of the last national incidence study."
Fuerza Unida: A Manual For Engaging Communities
"This attractive, user-friendly manual is a guide to understanding and working with Latino families experiencing domestic violence. Written primarily for government workers, nonprofit staff members, and other professionals working with Latino clients, it will benefit anyone seeking to relate effectively to our growing Latino communities."
Gender Responsive Budgeting in Practice: A Training Manual
"This training manual was produced under a UNFPA/UNIFEM strategic partnership aimed at developing a coordinated approach for effective technical assistance to gender-responsive budgeting (GRB)."
General Domestic Violence Statistics Packet: Using Statistics and Evaluating Research (pdf)
"Offers key issues on selecting statistics and questions to ask when reviewing a dataset or research study. Includes an annotated list of various statistics, a chart comparing four national datasets, a bibliography and extensive web site resource list."
Georgia Domestic Violence Fatality Review Report (pdf)
The Report analyzes single-victim homicides and near-deadly assaults, provides strategies for ending domestic violence, and spotlights communities that have successfully implemented recommendations from previous reports.
Girls Count: A Global Investment & Action Agenda
"This report describes why and how to initiate effective investments that will give adolescent girls in developing countries a full and equal chance for rewarding lives and livelihoods."
Good practices in legislation on violence against women (pdf)
This report comes from an expert group meeting organized by the United Nations Division for the Advancement of Women and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. The purpose of the expert group meeting was to analyze different legislative approaches for addressing violence against women; assess lessons learned and identify good practices in regard to legal reforms on violence against women; and develop a model framework for legislation on violence against women. The outcome of the meeting is intended to assist States and other stakeholders in enhancing existing, and developing new, legislation on violence against women.
Guidance for Veterinarians to Respond to Suspected Cruelty, Abuse and Neglect (pdf)
This document was created to help veterinarians who see cases of suspected animal abuse and neglect in practice to respond effectively. It is intended to aid veterinarians in establishing individual, practice-specific policies and procedures that best serve the needs of the animal and the client. Topics covered include documentation, decision making, model policies, client questionnaires, legal reporting requirements, liability and confidentiality, and sources of training and resources.
Guiding Principles for Safe Havens: Supervised Visitation and Safe Exchange Grant Program (pdf)
"This document was designed to guide the development and administration of Supervised Visitation Program centers with an eye toward addressing the needs of child(ren) and adult victims of domestic violence in visitation and exchange settings. The Guiding Principles look beyond the visitation setting to address how communities funded under the Supervised Visitation Program should address domestic violence in the larger community."
Handbook for legislation on violence against women (pdf)
Based on the work of an expert group meeting in Vienna, United Nations Division for the Advancement of Women of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs developed a Handbook for Legislation on Violence against Women. This Handbook intends to provide all stakeholders with detailed guidance to support the adoption and effective implementation of legislation which prevents violence against women, punishes perpetrators, and ensures the rights of survivors everywhere.
Handbook for legislation on violence against women (Russian) (pdf)
"A Russian translation of the 2009 Handbook for legislation on violence against women, a report of the expert group meeting organized by the United Nations Division for the Advancement of Women and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. The group studied different legislative approaches to violence against women and developed this handbook for legislation based upon best practices and lessons learned. The handbook also includes commentary on legislation on violence against women in a number of countries."
Hate Violence against Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender People in the United States (pdf)
This is a report about bias-motivated incidents targeting lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans-gender, queer, and questioning (LGBT) individuals in the U.S. during the year 2008. The report includes statistics on violence against LGBT people, stories from survivors, information on where to get help, safety tips, and information on hate crime laws.
A new report from the National Coalition for the Homeless (NCH) contains case descriptions of each attack that includes sexual assault. The report notes that because crimes committed against homeless persons often go unreported, the actual numbers of non-lethal attacks is likely much higher. Rapes and sexual assaults also tend to go unreported. The report recommends that state legislatures add homeless persons as a “protected class” to hate crime legislation, and encourages police trainings so law enforcement officers will better understand homelessness and how to prevent hate crimes.
Healing the Invisible Wounds: Children's Exposure to Violence A Guide for Families (pdf)
"This booklet helps parents and other caregivers understand the potential impact of exposure to violence on the development of their children, and provides practical suggestions for supporting the healing process."
Health Care Costs Associated with Violence in Pennsylvania (pdf)
"Reports the impact of violence in Pennsylvania including interpersonal violence (homicide, aggravated assault, rape) domestic violence (partner, child and elder abuse) and self-directed violence (suicide and attempted suicide)."
Here's Where We Start (pdf)
This booklet informs men of the extent of sexual and domestic violence and provides them with concrete ideas on how they can become part of the solution for ending these crimes. It outlines steps men can take to change the social norms that support sexual and domestic assaults.
This summary reports on the key findings of research carried out by the National Union of Students between August 2009 and March 2010. Research concerned women students’ experiences of harassment, financial control, control over their course and institution choices, stalking, violence, and sexual assault.
Hispanic Victims of Violent Crime, 1993-2000 (pdf)
"Examines violent crimes committed against Hispanic victims including rape, sexual assault, robbery, and aggravated and simple assault. Crime victimizations are compared with those of four non-Hispanic groups: whites, blacks, American Indians, and Asians."
How are DV offenders held accountable in Knoxville and Knox County justice system interventions? (pdf)
In August 2009, at the request of The Knoxville Family Justice Center, a Domestic Violence Safety and Accountability Audit was carried out to explore how domestic violence offenders are held accountable in the Knoxville/Knox County justice system. This is a report of those findings. The audit team hopes other will use it as a training tool and a catalyst for dialogue and examination within their communities.
This paper is a first-hand account of Missouri’s project to reduce rules in domestic violence shelters.
How To Integrate Assessment for Violence and Reproductive Coercion Into Clinical Practice (pdf)
A resource for healthcare providers which outlines points to train staff working with victims of violence and reproductive coercion.
How to Investigate Domestic Violence Homicide
A guide for investigating the path leading up to domestic violence homicides, for friends, activists, journalists, and all who care.
How to obtain U Interim Relief: A Brief Manual for Advocates Assisting Immigrant Victims of Crime (pdf)
This manual provides U Visa information for advocates who assist victims of crime, including domestic violence. The author outlines the definition, requirements, and application process for U Visa Interim relief and also offers information on obtaining permanent residency and derivative status for family members.
Human Rights Watch World Report 2010 (pdf)
"This 20th annual World Report summarizes human rights conditions in more than 90 countries and territories worldwide. It reflects extensive investigative work undertaken in 2009 by Human Rights Watch staff, usually in close partnership with human rights activists in the country in question."
The report includes: our most current domestic violence fatality statistics; detailed findings and recommendations based on cases reviewed over the past years; an exploratory study of the connection between domestic violence and suicide; copy-ready pages summarizing key findings and recommendations; and an index of the topic areas covered in all four Fatality Review reports.
Immigrant Populations as Victims: Toward a Multicultural Criminal Justice System (pdf)
"This report summarizes findings from a study about the criminal justice system's approach to immigrant victims of crime and barriers that prohibit immigrants from reporting crimes."
Immigration Relief for Crime Victims: The U Visa Manual (pdf)
"This manual aims to provide guidance to lawyers on issues that arise in the context of representing U visa applicants. It is designed for practitioners who are familiar with basic immigration terms and legal concepts."
Implementing Evidence-Based Practice in Treatment Foster Care (pdf)
The guide highlights valuable information, references, resources, and tools for implementing Evidence-based Practices (EBPs) in Treatment Foster Care (TFC) service settings. The Resource Guide identifies specific models, interventions, and tools that TFC providers can use to deliver effective services to the children, youth, and families in their care. It also provides “how-to” information to help TFC providers successfully implement desired EBPs in their programs.
"This Trainer's Manual was developed to help health care providers and domestic violence advocates meet the challenge of training clinicians and other staff within the busy clinic or hospital setting. The Manual provides step-by-step instructions for teaching each section of the Resource Manual including the basics of domestic violence, clinical skills, legal issues, community resources, and role play scenarios. It also includes a special module on cultural diversity."
Information about Murder-Suicides (pdf)
A fact sheet created by the Minnesota Coalition for Battered Women as part of a statewide training for law enforcement officers, prosecutors, and advocates titled the Anatomy of Strangulation.
The entire report (executive summary and full report) may be downloaded as a MicroSoft Word 6.0 document.
Integrating gender into HIV/AIDS programmes in the health sector (pdf)
"This tool helps programme managers and health-care providers in the public and private sectors integrate gender into HIV/AIDS programmes they wish to set up, implement and evaluate so they are more responsive to women's needs."
Interpersonal violence and alcohol (pdf)
This report by the World Health Organization presents research on the relation between alcohol and violence. It suggests that alcohol is a situational determinant which increases the risk of most types of violence. Hazardous and harmful use of alcohol has also been shown to be an important consequence of experiencing or witnessing most forms of violence, but especially child maltreatment and intimate partner violence.
Intersecting Inequalities: Immigrant Women of Colour, Violence and Health Care
This report focuses on racialized immigrant women who have experienced intimate violence and their access to the health care system. The paper reviews current literature and identifies key variables that contribute to immigrant women's vulnerability to violence and lack of access to health care. The response of health care service providers is also examined.
"This document describes intimate partner violence (IPV) in immigrant and refugee communities in the United States. The report contains four main sections: background information on the incidence of the problem among immigrant and refugee communities, an overview of the needs and challenges of immigrant and refugee IPV victims and service providers, recommendations for funders, service providers and policy-makers, and lastly a discussion of IPV research and evaluation issues to be addressed in immigrant and refugee communities."
Intimate Partner Violence: High Costs to Households and Communities (pdf)
A report on the cost of intimate partner violence (IPV) in Bangladesh, Morocco and Uganda. These three countries were specifically studied because they have high rates of IPV and their governments recently began to address this problem through new programs and laws. The researchers found that most women did not utilize services after experiencing IPV. The study concluded that IPV imposes huge direct costs on women and service providers in all three countries, including health, justice, police, local traditional authorities and social services, and indirect costs on women and families through lost wages and lower productivity.
Kenyan Laws and Harmful Customs Curtail Women’s Equal Enjoyment of ICESCR Rights (pdf)
"The Federation of Women Lawyers Kenya (FIDA Kenya) and the International Women’s Human Rights Clinic (IWHRC) at Georgetown University released this report as a supplement to Kenya’s latest periodic report under the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR). The report finds that Kenyan laws and practices prevent women from attaining economic, social and cultural Rights."
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Domestic Violence in 2001 (pdf)
"Provides a definition of dv inclusive to LGBT survivors; a state-by-state analysis of legal protections for LGBT survivors; U.S. statistics highlighting LGBT experiences of domestic violence; survivor stories and local reports from member agencies."
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Domestic Violence in 2002 (pdf)
"This report describes incidents of domestic violence (DV) in the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community that were reported during the year 2002 to community-based anti-violence organizations in eleven regions throughout the U.S."
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Domestic Violence: 2003 Supplement (pdf)
"Summarizes information about incidents of domestic violence reported in 2003 by members and affiliates of NCAVP, a network of 24 lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community-based anti-violence organizations and programs in US & Canada."
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Domestic Violence in the United States in 2006 (pdf)
The report describes within the LGBT community the statistics and numbers for murders, violence, victimizations, sexual orientation of victims, age, race, etc and breaks them down by various cities. The report ends with recommendations.
Making a Difference: Strategic Communications to End Violence Against Women (pdf)
A toolkit for planning strategic communications to raise awareness about and combat gender-based violence around the world. It gives step-by-step information on developing a media campaign. Alternate version available in Russian.
Making Sense of DNA Backlogs — Myths vs. Reality (pdf)
A special report that addresses the question of why backlogs of DNA evidence awaiting testing persist even after the federal government has provided hundreds of millions of dollars to eliminate them. The report provides an understanding of what a backlog is and how backlogs can be reduced.
"This manual was published by Transforming Communities, a California-based organization creating sustainable community-based approaches to preventing violence against women and girls. The authors provides a step-by-step approach to understanding how cost-benefit thinking can be applied to domestic violence prevention in order to persuade funders and policy makers of the need for programs. Contents include descriptions of specific prevention programs and their impact using a cost-benefit perspective, as well as guidance in building tools to strengthen and justify your prevention program to obtain funding and support."
"This report from the FRIENDS National Resource Center for Community-Based Child Abuse Prevention provides and overview of a range of prevention strategies that have been found to have some evidence of being able to preventing child abuse and neglect. "
Manual for estimating the economic costs of injuries due to interpersonal and self-directed violence (pdf)
"The manual provides a standardized set of recommendations to estimate the direct and indirect economic costs of interpersonal and self-directed violence."
Meeting Survivors' Needs: A Multi-State Study of Domestic Violence Shelter Experiences
This study provides important insights into the role that shelters play in survivors' efforts to escape violence and abuse. Results capture the voices and experiences of over 3,400 shelter residents in 215 programs across eight states. The website includes links to the press statement announcing the study's release, the Research in Brief, the Executive Summary, and the full report.
Mexico: Amnesty International Submission to the UN Universal Periodic Review
An Amnesty International report submitted to the United Nations Human Rights Council in February 2009. The report highlighted problems in the area of violence against women, in particular, the prevalence of domestic violence in Mexico and the femicides in Ciudad Juarez along the U.S.-Mexican border.
Mobilizing Religious Communities to Respond to Gender-based Violence and HIV: A Training Manual (pdf)
The first in a series of two manuals aimed at raising awareness and educating religious leaders and communities about gender-based violence. The training manual equips religious communities with tools to deepen their awareness and understanding of gender-based violence and its link to HIV and proposes faith-based activities on the subject.
Model Protocol on Working with Friends and Family of Domestic Violence Victims (pdf)
This protocol includes examples of programs that can engage friends and families in dealing with ending domestic violence.
Model Protocols on Working with Battered Women and Their Teenage Boys in Shelter
This model protocol is useful for domestic violence shelters who do not set age limits for male children in shelter. It is equally useful for those who critically examine safety of all children and women in shelter.
Models in Prevention - CDC's DELTA Program
The DELTA program seeks to reduce the incidence of intimate partner violence by providing funding to support local coordinated community responses (CCR's) adoption of primary prevention principles and practices. This special collection from VAWnet.org highlights the successes of this program and its grantees, providing materials to support replication of these efforts across the United States and globally.
Multi-Agency Practice Guidelines: Handling Cases of Forced Marriage (pdf)
"This report lists warning signs and appropriate actions for teachers and other school employees to take when they suspect a forced marriage of a child is imminent. The report also contains guidelines for police officers, health care professionals, and social workers, and provides general information on good practices when caring for victims of forced marriage."
National Crime Victimization Survey Criminal Victimization, 2007 (pdf)
"Presents estimates of rates and levels of personal and property victimization for 2007 and describes the substantial fluctuations in the survey measures of the crime rates from 2005 through 2007. The report includes data on violent crimes (rape/sexual assault, robbery, aggravated assault and simple assault), property crimes (burglary, motor vehicle theft and property theft), and personal theft (pocket picking and purse snatching), and the characteristics of victims of these crimes."
National Elder Abuse Incidence Study - 1998 (pdf)
The first report of its kind in the U.S., this incidence report details the definitions of elder abuse, the characteristics of victims and perpetrators of elder abuse, and the findings of this survey project.
NCEA Releases New Study on Abuse of Adults Age 60+ (pdf)
The 2004 Survey of Adult Protective Services, the most rigorous national study of state-level APS data conducted to date, offers important new insights into the troubling elder abuse problem.
New Directions from the Field: Victims Rights and Services for the 21st Century
Deals with victims rights and services in the business environment, and contains a section on workplace violence and provides practical advice for the business community on assisting the victims of workplace violence. This is a full-text online book.
New York City Domestic Violence Fatality Review Committee Annual Report 2008 (pdf)
This report describes family-related homicides that occurred in New York City between 2002 and 2007. Includes key findings, risk factors, and action steps in response to findings.
Not Enough: What TANF Offers Family Violence Victims (pdf)
Based on a national survey of service providers, this report is a comprehensive effort to understand when TANF successfully assists victims of family violence, and when the program falls short.
Ohio Elder Abuse Task Force Report (pdf)
This report consists of recommendations, issues for future consideration, and implementation strategies for the prevention of elder abuse as a result of research done by the Ohio Elder Abuse Task Force.
On the Road to Equality: Statewide Findings & Policy Recommendations (pdf)
"A supplement to the Status of Girls in Minnesota report by the Women’s Foundation of Minnesota in partnership with the Institute for Women’s Policy Research. Focus groups were conducted in 18 Minnesota communities that included African American, Latino, Native American, Asian American, LBT (Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender), and disabilities communities — to share key research findings and gain community input. This report captures the voices and policy recommendations of these communities, nonprofit and public leaders."
Overcoming Domestic Violence: A Global Challenge (pdf)
"The project is part of the World Council of Churches' decade on Overcoming Violence. The report contains seven chapters, beginning with the author’s recommendations from the project. The rest of the chapters place domestic violence within an international human rights framework, discuss domestic violence’s roots, its effects on development, relevant international law milestones, practical strategies culled from project experiences around the world, and the importance of monitoring development projects to ensure women’s full participation."
"This report documents good practices in preventing and responding to gender-based violence. The five case studies featured within document initiatives in Armenia, Romania,Turkey and the Ukraine that were implemented by governments and other partners with the support of UNFPA. Although the reports focus on initiatives in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, the practices and lessons learned can be applied throughout the globe."
"This report includes a discussion of primary prevention of intimate partner violence, promising approaches to environmental/norms change, an examination of IPV primary prevention within immigrant communities, recommended actions to building momentum for primary prevention of IPV, and immediate next steps. The report is designed as a catalyst and call to action, to give a sense of direction and raise some issues for consideration."
"This special collection includes a categorized and selected listing of articles, fact sheets, papers, reports and surveys. It is offered as an additional tool to assist advocates working on and interested in poverty and how it relates to ending violence against women."
Preventing violence and reducing its impact: How development agencies can help (pdf)
This document makes the case for increased attention on the impact of violence on development by international development agencies. A key aim is to stimulate dialogue on the role of international development agencies in the prevention of violence globally, and ultimately to increase investment in a commonly agreed set of applied violence prevention strategies. The primary audience for this document is policy-makers, high-level planners, and others in the international development field.
Problem-Oriented Guides for Police - Domestic Violence (pdf)
Domestic disputes are some of the most common calls for police service. This guide discusses domestic disputes that involve violence, as well as the measures that can be used to reduce them. This is an essential tool for law enforcement to help analyze and respond to their local problem.
Programming to Address Violence against Women (pdf)
"This is the second volume in a series that focuses on prevention and response tools for violence against women. The publication features eight case studies that highlight initiatives that have proven successful in combating violence against women: Algeria, Guatemala, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe. The UNFPA hopes to support current efforts in the eight case study countries and encourage other countries to take steps toward ending violence against women."
Progress of South Asian Women 2005 (pdf)
"The document presents a snapshot of women's situation in South Asia, an overview of the processes at work promoting the advancement of women, and identifies gaps during the period 2000–2005. Some of the challenges noted are disproportionate returns to contributions, the added "burden of care," a declining sex ratio, increased gender-based violence, trafficking of women and girls, and the spread of HIV/AIDS."
Progress of the World's Women 2000
UNIFEM's first issue in the biennial investigation of progress made towards a world where women live free from violence, poverty and inequality. Topics covered include women's economic security and rights, engendering governance and leadership and promoting women's human rights.
Progress of the World's Women 2002, Volume 2: Gender Equality and the Millennium Development Goals
This is the second edition of a biennial publication to track and measure the world's commitment to gender equality. It examines progress for women, or the lack of it, in education, literacy, non-agricultural wage employment and parliamentary representation.
"This document presents key findings of the consultation held in May 2008 to identify and promote approaches in national development planning, implementation and budgeting that bring real results in empowering women and reducing HIV and AIDS among women and girls. It highlights the need for a framework that links structural, social and individual determinants of gender inequality as well as presents opportunities to strengthen the focus on intersections between HIV, violence against women, and sexual and reproductive health access and rights. This publication includes a multimedia resource CD, available below for download."
WATCH is a court monitoring and research organization that monitors cases of domestic violence, sexual assault, and child abuse in Hennepin County, Minnesota. This report focuses on how misdemeanor cases of domestic violence are handled in Hennepin County’s three suburban courts. The purpose of this report is to outline how Hennepin County suburban courts can improve their response to domestic violence cases and to make specific recommendations for key changes. The observations by WATCH court monitors and the recommendations also have a broader impact as communities across the United States grapple with what seems to be an intractable social problem
Raising Public Awareness on Domestic Violence in Indian Country (pdf)
In collaboration with the South Dakota Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault, its member organizations and Native American advocates throughout the state, Cangleska, Inc., the violence against women intervention and shelter program on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota, developed domestic violence public awareness materials focusing specifically on rural and Native American communities. Materials included posters, public service announcements used in radio talk shows and an updated version of a domestic violence handbook for Lakota communities.
Realizing the Promise of Home Visitation: Addressing Domestic Violence and Child Maltreatment (pdf)
"This guide is intended to help policy makers and advocates build a strong national policy framework to maximize the effectiveness and reach of early childhood home visiting programs. It is intended to ensure that federal home visiting policies directly address: the needs of mothers and children who are experiencing or at risk of experiencing domestic violence, the link between domestic violence and child abuse and neglect, and the impact of domestic violence on the health and well-being of children and families."
Reasonable Efforts Checklist for Dependency Cases Involving Domestic Violence (pdf)
"This checklist includes easy reference bench cards for judges to consult during removal, adjudication, disposition, review, permanency, and termination hearings involving domestic violence. It is designed to aid judges in making reasonable efforts findings that are required by federal law in dependency cases involving domestic violence."
Reasonable Efforts or Unrealistic Expectations: A Look at Hennepin County Child Protection Cases (pdf)
"The purpose of this report is to identify ways in which Hennepin County could provide greater support for families throughout the Children in Need of Protection or Services (CHIPS) process and improve the systems in which judges, social workers, and guardians ad litem (GAL) are operating."
Reentry: Helping Former Prisoners Return to Communities (pdf)
"This guide offers Making Connections site teams and local partners a way to think about and reduce the negative impact of incarceration on their communities. It presents an overview of the issue, describes challenges that sites are likely to face when tackling this work, describes promising approaches, and offers resources for finding further information. Part of the TARC Resource Guide series."
Resource Guide for Advocates & Attorneys on Interpretation Services for Domestic Violence Victims (pdf)
This document provides guidelines from the Interpretation Technical Assistance and Resource Center that focus on court interpretation for domestic and sexual violence victims with limited English proficiency. These guidelines inform how advocacy, interpretation, and language access can be integrated.
Safe Start Promising Approaches Communities: Working Together to Help Children Exposed to Violence (pdf)
Launched by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention(OJJDP) and its Federal partners in the Department of Justice and the Department of Health and Human Services, the initiative is designed as a national framework which seeks to address the needs of children exposed to violence. This booklet describes each of the 15 Safe Start Promising Approaches communities and outlines how these programs are integrating evidence-based or promising practices as well as other complementary interventions within their geographical, agency, and community contexts.
Safe States, 2003 edition (pdf)
This document explains how state health department injury prevention programs apply the public health model every day, achieving results that reduce injuries and save tens of thousands of lives.
Santa Clara County Violence Profile 2012 (pdf)
The data in this report provide a snapshot of violence in Santa Clara County that will help inform how and where to concentrate local public health efforts to prevent violence from occurring in the first place. Topic areas include adult and youth violence, intimate partner violence, youth safety, youth risk factors, youth protective factors, child maltreatment, and elder/dependent adult maltreatment.
Security Begins at Home (pdf)
The Kosova Women’s Network released the country’s first study on domestic violence, called Security Begins at Home. The report highlights key points such as: what the citizens of Kosovo perceive as domestic violence, the forms and consequences of domestic violence, citizens' response to ending it, and the legal and institutional gaps in addressing it.
Self-reported Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Data Brief (pdf)
"Summarizes intimate partner and sexual violence victimization from three different Minnesota surveys and one national survey."
Shattered Hearts: The Commercial Sexual Exploitation of American Indian Women and Girls in Minnesota (pdf)
A groundbreaking report released by the Minnesota Indian Women’s Resource Center (MIWRC) highlights the alarming and pervasive sex trafficking of American Indian women and girls in Minnesota. The first comprehensive report of its kind, it highlights risk factors for victims that include poverty, a disproportionate number of American Indian homeless, high incidences of overall sexual assault, Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) and pervasive multi-generational trauma.
Shattered Lives: Homicides, Domestic Violence and Asian Families (pdf)
This report focuses on domestic violence related homicides as a critical issue affecting Asian, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander battered women since 2001. Types of domestic violence related homicides, children as victims, and perpetrator types are discussed. Findings and recommendations are also provided.
Silence is Violence: End the Abuse of Women in Afghanistan (pdf)
A new United Nations (UN) report on women in Afghanistan that focuses on the growing trend of violence and threats against women in public life and rape/sexual violence. The report concludes that these forms of violence are a huge occurrence in the everyday lives of Afghan women and the government has a crucial role in helping to eradicate these harmful practices towards women.
Social Worker's Practice Guide to Domestic Violence (pdf)
A guide created by the Department of Social and Health Services, for social workers working with domestic violence issues in the state of Washington. Includes information on how social workers should work with victims and perpetrators, child assessment of exposure to violence, as well as legal and policy issues in the state.
Stalking and Domestic Violence Report to Congress (pdf)
"This report to Congress is part of an ongoing commitment to share information about strategies that show promise in the field and about the development of laws addressing stalking. It is produced in response to Subtitle F of VAWA, which directs the U.S. Attorney General to submit a report on these issues. The report includes information on cyberstalking, victim needs, law enforcement responses to stalking, and a bibliography."
Starting Smart: How Early Experiences Affect Brain Development
"This report provides a straightforward summary of the interactions between early brain development, childhood emotional experiences and trauma. Drawing from this research, it concludes by making a case for increased services to counter the disadvantages faced by children who experience trauma or neglect."
State of World Population 2008 Reaching Common Ground: Culture, Gender, and Human Rights (pdf)
"This report gives an overview of the conceptual human rights frameworks as well as the practice of development, looking at the everyday events that make up people’s experience of development. The report presents some of the challenges and dilemmas of culturally sensitive strategies and suggests how partnerships can address them. The focus is on discussing and showcasing how culturally sensitive approaches are critical for the realization of human rights in general and women’s rights in particular."
State of World Population 2009 Facing a Changing World: Women, Population and Climate (pdf)
"The report shows that improving the health and education of women and girls sparks economic development, reduces poverty and slows population growth – three key ways to minimize the effects of climate change."
Status of Girls in Illinois (pdf)
This report addresses a wide spectrum of areas affecting Illinois girls’ lives, including sexuality, violence, incarceration, substance abuse, health, education and physical fitness.
Full report is linked. Executive summary can be found at http://www.steansfamilyfoundation.org/pdf/SOG_Executive_Summar.pdf
"This 2008 report provides detailed information on the status of girls in Minnesota. It also serves as a tool for advocates, researchers, and policy makers in developing a set of interventions that will ensure girls’ economic, social, and political equality in the state. "
Supervised Visitation Programs: Information for Mothers Who Have Experienced Abuse (pdf)
"This guide was created for mothers who have experienced abuse and whose children are involved in supervised visitation programs. The guide provides information about how the programs work and how mothers can prepare themselves and their children for the experience."
Supervised Visitation: Information for Mothers Who Have Been Abused (pdf)
"This Guide should be given directly to mothers who have experienced abuse and whose children are in supervised visitation programs. It will tell mothers basic information about how supervised visitation programs work and how she can prepare herself and her children for the experience. If she is afraid of her children’s father or was abused by him, then the information in this Guide will be particularly helpful to her."
Supporting Battered Mothers Protects Children: Reducing the Effects of Domestic Violence on Children (pdf)
This report was created in response to a request from the Chairman of the Missouri Children’s Services Commission, Representative Jeff Grisamore. It contains the latest research on the prevalence of child exposure to domestic violence and best practices in addressing this violence. The report also includes recommendations on how the state of Missouri can better meet the needs of children and mothers experiencing violence.
Surveillance for Violent Deaths -- National Violent Death Reporting System, 16 States, 2005
"This report summarizes data from CDC's National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS) regarding violent deaths from 16 U.S. states for 2005. Results are reported by sex, age group, race/ethnicity, marital status, location of injury, method of injury, circumstances of injury, and other selected characteristics."
"This report documents important curricular developments in American legal education: the integration of domestic violence into the law school curriculum."
"This free advanced domestic violence curriculum outlines safely preparing for and managing effective meetings, engaging parents around domestic violence issues, assessing the impact of children’s exposure to domestic violence, and making decisions and plans to increase safety for children and battered mothers."
The Crossing Borders Self-Assessment Guide (pdf)
"A tool kit for doing the "inside work" within programs to strengthen and expand services for immigrant survivors of domestic violence."
The Economic Dimensions of Interpersonal Violence (pdf)
This document examines the economic effects of interpersonal violence, including sexual violence, as well as the economic effects of interventions seeking to reduce violence and the ways in which economic factors such as poverty and income inequality contribute to violence.
This report documents the findings from the Phase II evaluation of the coordinated response to domestic violence in Omaha and Douglas County.
The Facts on Reproductive Health and Violence Against Women (pdf)
This fact sheet provides information and statistics on teen and adult unintended pregnancies, contraception use, sexually transmitted infections, and violence during pregnancy.
The Facts On Teen Dating Violence (pdf)
A fact sheet created by FVPF on the prevalence and consequences of teen dating violence.
The Impact of Conflict on Women and Girls in West and Central Africa and the UNICEF response (pdf)
"This first-of-its-kind study by UNICEF on the situation of war-affected girls and women in the region highlights innovative programmes being implemented with partners to address the impact of conflict, and recommends how UNICEF can more proactively champion the rights of girls - particularly adolescent girls."
The Military Response to Victims of Domestic Violence: Tools for Civilian Advocates (pdf)
This handbook is designed for civilian advocates working with military victims of domestic violence—both active duty victims and partners of active duty service members—to help advocates respond to the uniquely challenging needs of this population of survivors.
The Multiple Faces of the Intersections between HIV and Violence Against Women (pdf)
"The report compiles various articles that describe the intersection of and links between violence against women and the increasing number of HIV/AIDS transmissions among women. The publishers hope to prompt discussion and efforts focused on creating integrated policies and programs that address violence against women and HIV."
Power to Change is a new European resource to help victims of domestic violence. It is a practical guide to running support groups and self-help groups with victims and survivors of domestic violence.
The Role of Men and Boys in Achieving Gender Equality (pdf)
A United Nations report that recognizes eliminating violence against women through the promotion of gender equality. The report outlines obstacles men and boys face in this struggle and identifies ways in which they can be involved in preventing violence against women.
The Safe Start Center Series on Children Exposed to Violence: Pediatric Care Settings (pdf)
This issue brief translates emerging research and program practice into action steps for practitioners in pediatric care settings to design and implement programs that meet the needs of children who are exposed to violence.
The State of the World's Children 2009 Report
"The State of the World's Children 2009 examines critical issues in maternal and newborn health, underscoring the need to establish a comprehensive continuum of care for mothers, newborns and children. The report outlines the latest paradigms in health programming and policies for mothers and newborns, and explores policies, programmes and partnerships aimed at improving maternal and neonatal health. Africa and Asia are a key focus for this report, which complements the previous year's issue on child survival."
The Structured Decision Making Model: An Evidenced-based Approach to Human Services
Structured Decision Making (SDM) is an evidence-based model designed to help agencies and caseworkers make accurate risk assessments about families and children. A new guide from the Children's Research Center (CRC), a division of the National Council on Crime and Delinquency, reviews the principles of the SDM model and provides updated information on its use in jurisdictions around the country.
The Unclaimed Children Revisited, California Case Study (pdf)
"The purpose of the California Case Study is to identify, document, and analyze effective fiscal, infrastructural, and related policies that support research-informed practices for mental health services to children and adolescents in California."
The VAWA Manual: Immigration Relief for Abused Immigrants (pdf)
Manual on the preparation, filing and processing of applications pursuant to the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). Also includes detailed information on Special Immigrant Juvenile Status for Children Under Juvenile Court Jurisdiction, and U and T Non-Immigrant Visas (Victims of Crime and Trafficking). A good resource for advocates and legal professionals working with these victims.
This document takes some time to download, especially with a slow connection.
The VAWA Manual: Immigration Relief for Abused Immigrants, Index of Appendices 1-100 (pdf)
Contains a list of appendices in connection with The VAWA Manual: Immigration Relief for Abused Immigrants.
The VAWA Manual: Immigration Relief for Abused Immigrants, Index of Appendices 101-200 (pdf)
Contains a list of appendices in connection with The VAWA Manual: Immigration Relief for Abused Immigrants.
The VAWA Manual: Immigration Relief for Abused Immigrants, Index of Appendices 201-300 (pdf)
Contains a list of appendices in connection with The VAWA Manual: Immigration Relief for Abused Immigrants.
The VAWA Manual: Immigration Relief for Abused Immigrants, Index of Appendices 301-380 (pdf)
Contains a list of appendices in connection with The VAWA Manual: Immigration Relief for Abused Immigrants.
"This briefing paper addresses the needs of the women of the Gulf Coast region and uncovers the multiple disadvantages experienced by women affected by both hurricane Katrina and Rita."
This is a good introduction to advocacy concepts used when working with victims of intimate violence, rape and child abuse. It is designed for use both as a workshop outline and as a guide for direct interactions with individual clients.
Together We Must! End Violence against Women and Girls and HIV & AIDS (pdf)
"This document represents an initial effort to draw attention to the knowledge, institutional capacity and resources needed to comprehensively address the intersection between HIV & AIDS and VAWG. The aim is to stimulate debate and collaboration among practitioners and advocates around how to identify and promote effective prevention policies and practices that can be adapted to various contexts."
Towards a Common European Framework to Monitor Progress in Combating Violence Against Women (pdf)
"Contains proposals for policies and indicators that could form the basis for a tool to monitor State progress in combating violence against women, as well as case studies of European initiatives that illustrate good practices."
Transforming the National AIDS Response: Advancing Women’s Leadership and Participation (pdf)
"The second in a series of resource guides dedicated to highlighting strategies for incorporating gender equality and women’s rights into national HIV and AIDS responses. This publication discusses various approaches for advancing women’s leadership and meaningful participation of HIV-positive women in the AIDS response."
This booklet, designed by the West Virginia Bureau for Public Health, helps young adults understand the dynamics of healthy relationships; the signs of controlling relationships; the strategies for dealing with dating violence; and the resources available to end the cycle of violence.
Two steps forward, one step back: Community attitudes to violence against women
"Summarizes key findings of the Violence Against Women Community Attitudes Project, undertaken to inform future work to prevent violence against women by improving understanding of how community attitudes contribute to this problem."
U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics Special Report, Intimate Partner Violence (pdf)
"This DOJ Report has data on IPV based on estimates from the NCVS. This report is often cited for the finding that intimate partner victimization rates were significantly higher for people living in rental housing vs. those living in their own homes."
Understanding Children’s Exposure to Violence (pdf)
The Safe Start Center has developed a series of briefs on Children Exposed to Violence. The briefs are developed to respond to an urgent need to translate research-based information and disseminate it to practitioners who can use it in their work with children and families in different settings. This particular brief describes core concepts—gleaned from research and program practice—used in designing and implementing programs that address children’s exposure to violence.
UNIFEM Annual Report 2004/2005 (pdf)
The Annual Report documents UNIFEM's work to foster women's empowerment and gender equality around the world. It highlights some of the organization's initiatives during the year 2004–2005, among which were initiatives in promoting women's political participation and leadership in post-conflict situations, easing the burden of HIV/AIDS on women, promoting women's right to own land, and supporting the creation and implementation of gender-responsive budgets.
UNIFEM Facts & Figures on Violence Against Women
The United Nations Development Fund For Women provides statistics on many forms of violence women face including domestic and intimate partner violence, sexual violence, trafficking of women and girls, HIV/AIDS and violence, and more.
UNITY RoadMap: A Framework for Effectiveness and Sustainability
"The UNITY RoadMap is a resource for cities to prevent violence before it occurs by mapping out solutions to effectively and sustainably prevent violence. The UNITY RoadMap helps cities understand the current status of their efforts, describes the core elements necessary to prevent violence before it occurs, and provides information, resources, and examples to support cities in planning, implementation, and evaluation."
Violence Against Native Women: A Guide for Practitioner Action (pdf)
This paper is intended to serve as a guide to practitioners who represent Native women who are the victims of domestic and sexual violence. It is dedicated to the brave Native women whose faces are behind the horrifying statistics. Includes practice tips for law enforcement, tribal leaders, judges, advocates, attorneys, prosecutors, and probation/parole officers.
Violence Against Women in Vietnam (pdf)
This report was prepared for the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). The report draws attention to the lack of ways for the victims of violence obtain reparation and identify the mechanisms guaranteeing the impunity of torturers.
Violence against Women – Facts and Figures (pdf)
"This article provides facts and figures on violence against women to illustrate the devastating toll on women’s lives, on their families, and on society as a whole."
This report provides information regarding the General Assembly of the United Nations' adoption of a resolution entitled "In-depth study on all forms of violence against women." The resolution requires the Secretary-General to conduct an in-depth study on all forms and manifestations of violence against women. This report offers background information on data collection, a summary of the discussion and objectives of the expert group meeting, and recommendations for collecting data on violence against women, improving population-based surveys and enhancing service-based data.
"Compiles some U.S. BJS and FBI data on violence between people who have an intimate relationship: spouses, ex-spouses, and current and former boyfriends and girlfriends. Includes violent crimes of murder, rape, sexual assault, and simple assault."
Violence in the EU Examined (pdf)
"A report published by the University of Ljubljana in Slovenia on good practices and general recommendations for domestic violence initiatives in the Czech Republic, Cyprus, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia. The project includes findings on sexual harassment, female genital mutilation, honor crimes, exploitation, trafficking, and other issues affecting women and children. A summary of the report’s general recommendations is also available."
Violence in the Lives of Children (pdf)
"This data brief from Child Trends reviews data on the types of violence experienced by U.S. children, including exposure to violence through media to abuse by parents and peers. Differences by age, gender, and race/ethnicity are discussed along with priorities for filling gaps in the data that is available on this topic."
Virginia's Guidelines for the Primary Prevention of SV/IPV (pdf)
This document provides guidelines to assist Virginia sexual and domestic violence agencies(and possibly other community organizations) in developing effective SV/IPV primary prevention initiatives. The guidelines and support materials contained are based on a combination of research and experience from people who do SV/IPV primary prevention work on a daily basis.
Visibility Through Data: Health Information for Urban American Indian and Alaska Native Communities (pdf)
"This report summarizes information for providers working toward improving the health and well-being of urban American Indian and Alaska Native communities and is a resource that highlights specific health issues facing this population. "
Waves of Violence: Women in Post-Tsunami Sri Lanka
This paper describes a community based and developed program intended to support women and to reduce the incidence of sexual and gender based violence in post-tsunami Sri Lanka. Preliminary data from the project is used to highlight some of the needs of women, as well as the challenges in addressing gender-based violence and marginalization.
When Men Murder Women: An Analysis of 2000 Homicide Data
This annual report details female homicides involving one female murder victim and one male offender and illustrates the unique role firearms play in female homicide. The report concludes that the majority of women are not killed by strangers lurking in the dark but by those that are closest to them, including spouses, intimate acquaintances, and close relatives.
When Men Murder Women: An Analysis of 2007 Homicide Data (pdf)
The report details national and state-by-state information on female homicides involving one female murder victim and one male offender. The study uses the most recent data available from the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s unpublished Supplementary Homicide Report.
Where Men Stand: Men’s roles in ending violence against women (pdf)
The report describes how many men use violence against women, what men think about violence against women, and what role men can and do play in reducing and preventing this violence.
Who Answers to Women? Gender & Accountability: Progress of the World's Women 2008/2009 (pdf)
"This report demonstrates that when gender-responsive accountability systems are put in place both nationally and internationally, the Millennium Development Goals and other international commitments to women will be met."
"This report, the product of a 2009 survey of victim assistance providers and LGBTQ anti-violence programs throughout the United States, describes widespread gaps in victim services for LGBTQ victims of crime and recommends steps to improve both the services and their accessibility."
"With an End in Sight" narrates inspiring stories showing how groups of people are moving ahead and creating new ideas to combat violence against women. It provides knowledge, insight and hope of how violence against women can be eliminated with combined effort, compelling advocacy, and wide-reaching education.
Women and Health: Today’s Evidence, Tomorrow’s Agenda (pdf)
"This report reviews evidence on the health issues that particularly affect girls and women throughout their life course. This report uses currently available data to draw attention to the consequences and costs of failing to address health issues at appropriate points in their lives."
Women and HIV/AIDS: Confronting the Crisis
"This report documents the latest information on the current HIV/AIDS pandemic, the devastating and often invisible impact of AIDS on women and girls and highlights the ways discrimination, poverty and gender-based violence help fuel the epidemic. Most importantly, the report targets the strategies to reverse the trends."
Women in Mongolia: Mapping Progress under Transition
This publication tells of Mongolian women's experiences in the context of the political and economic transformation of their country. It shares reports of women encouraged to bear many children, inadequate health care or resources, and high rates of maternal mortality. Recommendations informed through case studies are presented for improving their social and economic status and increasing their political participation.
World Report on Violence against Children
"This book addresses all violence against children within the family, schools, alternative care institutions and detention facilities, places where children work and communities. It lists the relevant international and national legal instruments and standards. It also describes the nature and impact of all forms of violence, indicating possible risk and causal factors. Finally, and most important, based on existing evidence and concrete examples, it provides detailed recommendation on measures to be taken to enhance the protection of children from violence."
Yaari Dosti: Young Men Redefine Masculinity (pdf)
"This training manual is a tool for those aiming to promote gender equity and address masculinity as a strategy for the prevention of HIV infection. The Manual is based on operations research that was undertaken in Mumbai and Uttar Pradesh to develop educational activities targeted to young men."
This handbook contains information that will help you learn about: domestic violence and its impact on adolescents; evaluating risk and safety planning for victims of domestic violence; coordinated justice responses to domestic violence and the role of juvenile custody programs and probation; risk assessment and reduction with adolescent perpetrators of intimate partner and family violence; promising practices for adolescent perpetrators of intimate partner and family violence; and resources on domestic violence for adolescent victims and perpetrators.
Men's engagement
Building Domestic Violence Health Care Responses: A Promising Practices Report (pdf)
"A new report that documents dramatic improvements in the health system’s response to domestic violence at Indian, Tribal and Urban health care facilities across the United States. It offers a series of recommendations to continue the progress and ensure that many more American Indian/Alaska Native domestic violence victims get the help that they need when they seek medical care at clinics and hospitals."
Domestic Violence Perpetrator Programs: What Counts as Success? (pdf)
This research briefing is an exploration of what we mean by "success" when speaking about Domestic Violence Perpetrator Programs. Women, men, practitioners and funders all contributed to this stage of the work.
Domestic Violence Perpetrators: Working with the Cause of the Problem
Respect has put together this document to make the case for increasing the work done with domestic violence perpetrators.
Engaging Boys and Men in Gender Transformation: The Group Education Manual (pdf)
"This manual offers trainers an array of participatory experiential exercises to reach men (and their partners), exploring gender socialization and its impact on HIV prevention and care. Piloted in Ethiopia, Namibia, South Africa and Tanzania, the manual is designed to assist trainers in developing curricula to work with men and boys on gender, HIV and AIDS issues."
The project - “Engaging Young Men through Social Media for the Prevention of Violence against Women” – aims to connect and inspire young people to take action to end gender-based violence and will be carried out in China, Indonesia, and India. The “Social media for social change” meeting brought together the organizations selected to work on this project to share and learn from each other, and to take part in a ‘social media clinic’ with a global expert on social media. Participants explored what social media tools are available and how they can be used creatively to reach out to boys and men to take action to violence against women in Asia and the Pacific.
Men in the Movement to End Violence Against Women: Training and Education
"This collection highlights several training tools and background information for use in promoting men's involvement in the movement to end violence against women. Also included are educational materials to support the teaching of non-violence to boys and young men. It is one in a series of three special collections focusing on the domestic violence prevention and education efforts of men. "
"This report documents good practices in preventing and responding to gender-based violence. The five case studies featured within document initiatives in Armenia, Romania,Turkey and the Ukraine that were implemented by governments and other partners with the support of UNFPA. Although the reports focus on initiatives in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, the practices and lessons learned can be applied throughout the globe."
Patrick Stewart: the legacy of domestic violence
In this article, the actor describes how he regularly saw his father hit his mother and how the horrors of his childhood experiences remained with him throughout his adult life.
PHENG THAO: Pushing Boundaries to Affect Systems Change (pdf)
This article profiles Pheng Thao, a Minnesota leader engaging men in primary prevention efforts to end sexual and domestic violence. While Pheng focuses on the Hmong community in this article, the issues he identifies are familiar in every community in Minnesota. Pheng is a great example of what men can do and the impact we can have as we speak up and organize to end men’s violence and support gender equality.
Together We Must! End Violence against Women and Girls and HIV & AIDS (pdf)
"This document represents an initial effort to draw attention to the knowledge, institutional capacity and resources needed to comprehensively address the intersection between HIV & AIDS and VAWG. The aim is to stimulate debate and collaboration among practitioners and advocates around how to identify and promote effective prevention policies and practices that can be adapted to various contexts."
Where Men Stand: Men’s roles in ending violence against women (pdf)
The report describes how many men use violence against women, what men think about violence against women, and what role men can and do play in reducing and preventing this violence.
The consultation brought together approximately 65 participants from East and Southeast Asia and the Pacific and focused three objectives:
-Explore the concepts of masculinities, gender relations, and gender-based violence (GBV) – and how they are connected.
-Share promising practices and lessons learned in the region on the engagement of boys and men in gender equality and GBV prevention.
-Explore next steps to for collaboration across the region to engage boys and men in work towards gender equality and GBV prevention.
The consultation brought together participants from across South Asia and focused on three key objectives:
1. Deepen our understanding of gender, masculinities and gender-based violence in the South Asian context
2. Discuss an approach and process for working together regionally to engage boys and men in work towards gender equality and prevention of Gender-based Violence (GBV)
3. Reach agreement on next steps, roles and responsibilities for working together regionally.
Yaari Dosti: Young Men Redefine Masculinity (pdf)
"This training manual is a tool for those aiming to promote gender equity and address masculinity as a strategy for the prevention of HIV infection. The Manual is based on operations research that was undertaken in Mumbai and Uttar Pradesh to develop educational activities targeted to young men."
Mental health
Victim Advocate Guide: Intimate Partner Violence and Combat Experience (pdf)
This resource provides guidance on how to assess and respond to the heightened risk of severe violence, suicide, and homicide linked to the co-occurrence of combat trauma and Intimate Partner Violence.
"This preliminary experiment tests whether African American and European American abused women who give testimony about their experiences of intimate partner violence and learn how to use yogic breathing techniques have reduced feelings of depression. Results indicate that learning yogic breathing techniques alone and combined with giving testimony significantly reduces feelings of depression. "
Achieving Equity for Women: Policy Alternatives for the New Administration Symposium Report (pdf)
"This report summarizes the policy research symposium convened by the Institute for Women’s Policy Research and the Wellesley Centers for Women, held in Washington, DC on April 2, 2009. The symposium highlighted four policy areas in which public policy can work to improve the status of women in the United States: women and economic recovery; retirement, social security and aging; quality early care and education; and women and health care reform."
Adaptation Guidelines for Serving Latino Children and Families Affected by Trauma (pdf)
"This document was created by experts in the fields of child trauma research, clinical practice, policy and cultural diversity to serve as a resource for anyone who works with Latino families who have experienced traumatic events. There are 12 priority areas covered ranging from micro issues (assessment and provision of therapy) to macro issues (organizational competence and policy). Each one includes an overview of the priority area, recommendations for improving practice based on that priority area, and additional resources for further information. Portions of these guidelines are geared for advocates and therapists, while other priority areas are designed for program administrators and policy makers."
Additional Scripts for Clinic Assessment (pdf)
This document is created for healthcare professionals and provides a series of scripted questions and responses when working with victims of violence. The information is intended to help communicate all the information needed to give to a patient as well as responding to immediate safety issues and making referrals.
Addressing Gender-based Violence: UNFPA Strategy and Framework for Action (pdf)
This report, grounded in UNFPA's overarching goal of eliminating violence against women and girls, identifies particular areas where action is most urgently needed and proposes general policy frameworks for combating gender-based violence.
A paper on the impact of physical, sexual, and psychological abuse, and exposure to family violence on the sexual, reproductive, and parenting behaviors of young men.
"Abuse studies from the author’s laboratory, studies of children in orphanages who lacked emotional contact, and a large number of animal deprivation and enrichment studies point to the need for children and young nonhuman mammals to have both stable emotional attachments with and touch from primary adult caregivers, and spontaneous interactions with peers. If these connections are lacking, brain development both of caring behavior and cognitive capacities is damaged in a lasting fashion. The effects of the childhood environment, favorable or unfavorable, interact with all the processes of neurodevelopment."
Developmental Repair: A Training Manual (pdf)
Washburn Center for Children has recently completed a training manual on Developmental Repair – the treatment framework that has been developed and implemented in their Day Treatment Program under the clinical leadership of Anne Gearity PhD, LICSW. It is an intensive treatment model for working with young children who have experienced complex trauma and present with aggressive and disruptive symptoms.
Developmental Status and Early Intervention Service Needs of Maltreated Children (pdf)
"In this report, published by the Institute for Social and Economic Development, the authors analyze findings from the National Early Intervention Longitudinal Study and the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being. They provide information about the developmental status and early intervention service needs of children under age three who are substantiated for maltreatment. Topics include: 1) the extent to which maltreated children have developmental problems or are subject to factors associated with poor developmental outcomes; 2) the services maltreated children might be eligible for and ones they receive through the child welfare systems; 3) case characteristics, such as child welfare setting, that impact the effect of developmental services; and 4) existing barriers to services."
DID YOU KNOW YOUR RELATIONSHIP AFFECTS YOUR HEALTH? (Spanish) (pdf)
A tri-fold patient safety card which contains a checklist to assess safety, healthy/unhealthy relationships, and children's exposure to violence. The card also provides resources and information on how to get help.
Domestic Violence Against Women in Albania (pdf)
"This qualitative report examines the prevalence of domestic violence in Albania, including forms of domestic violence and complicating factors."
Domestic Violence is associated with environmental suppression of IQ in young children
The researchers document the consequences of early childhood stress, such as exposure to domestic violence, on brain development, which subsequently can lead to a lower IQ.
Domestic Violence, Mental Health & Trauma: Research Highlights (pdf)
"Provides statistical information and findings from several research reports. Statistics are provided on the prevalence of domestic violence and mental health in the U.S., followed by research findings supporting the connection between trauma and mental health."
Exposure to Violence: Psychological and Academic Correlates in Child Witnesses
2001 Report. Inner-city children are frequently exposed to violence; however, there are few data regarding the psychological and academic correlates of such exposure in young children at school entry. This study aims to document exposure to violence in inner-city children aged 7 years; assess their feelings of distress; and evaluate the relationships of exposure to violence with school performance, behavior, and self-esteem.
Family Violence Prevention and Health Practice Winter 2010 Issue
This issue includes topics such as dating violence, recent domestic and sexual violence related research, and the intersection between domestic violence, poverty, substance abuse, and mental health.
Family Violence: A Review of the Dysfunctional Behavior Patterns
December 2000 article. This Study examines family violence and the commonality of mental illness and other psychological problems experienced by the victims.
Findings About Partner Violence From the Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Development Study
July 1999. This NIJ Research in Brief examines the continual nature of antisocial behavior from adolescence through adulthood in an attempt to explain partner violence. Results are derived from a longitudinal study of a birth cohort from Dunedin, New Zealand, conducted over the past 21 years. Among the findings discussed are that partner violence can be linked to a variety of mental illnesses, family adversity, lack of schooling, and conviction of various crimes.
"This study estimated the frequency and correlates of intimate partner violence by type (physical, sexual, battering, or emotional abuse) among women seeking primary health care. Efforts to universally screen for partner violence and to effectively intervene to reduce the impact of such violence on women’s lives must be a public health priority."
Healthy Development: A Summit on Children’s Mental Health (pdf)
"This report was compiled from a 2009 Summit that brought together a comprehensive group of stakeholders in child and family mental health with the goal of promoting children’s mental health. The report addresses issues such as the prevalence of children’s mental health, gaps in service, current research and public perceptions of mental health, and provides recommendations."
Helping Culturally Diverse Victims of Interpersonal Violence: Avoiding Stereotypes & Meetings Needs
"This forum discusses the need to take people's culture into account when providing them with services for interpersonal violence and avoiding the trap of treating people in a cookie-cutter way, based on stereotypes about their culture. This forum is hosted by Lisa Aronson Fontes, PhD. Lisa is a Core Faculty Member in Union Institute & University's Psy.D. Program in Clinical Psychology and has dedicated almost 20 years to making the social service and mental health systems more responsive to culturally diverse people."
Helping Traumatized Children at School
A paper that discusses school interventions for traumatized children. It provides some of the guidelines and resources for use when youth's traumas affect their ability to function at school.
Helping Traumatized Children: Tips for Judges (pdf)
"This fact sheet for judges and other court personnel outlines the impact of trauma on children's development, beliefs, and behaviors. It is designed to help professionals in the juvenile justice and family court system become more effective in addressing the unique needs and challenges of the traumatized children and adolescents they work with."
Helping with Domestic Violence: Legal Barriers to Serving Teens in Illinois (pdf)
November 2000. Report based on focus groups and interviews with a total of 110 service providers and teen groups in 1999-2000 to determine why so few services were available for teen victims of domestic violence. This research isolated a variety of Illinois laws and regulations that served as barriers. Subsequent review of laws in other states found that on some issues Illinois laws were more helpful to minors, but that in several key instances Illinois laws are in need of change. This report focuses on legal barriers to providing services to teen victims of domestic violence, specifically those that affect access to transitional and long-term housing, orders of protection for domestic violence, and health and mental health services.
Helping Young Children Affected by Domestic Violence: The Role of Pediatric Health Settiings (pdf)
This paper is part of series of paper that addresses the way to mobilize community and programatic resources to provide responsive help to children and families affected both by domestic violence and poverty. This particular paper addresses importance of pediatric health care and mental health care in addressing domestic violence.
A screening tool designed to be used by professionals who are not TBI experts, but can assess for possible head trauma or injury resulting from domestic violence.
How To Integrate Assessment for Violence and Reproductive Coercion Into Clinical Practice (pdf)
A resource for healthcare providers which outlines points to train staff working with victims of violence and reproductive coercion.
Implementing Evidence-Based Practice in Treatment Foster Care (pdf)
The guide highlights valuable information, references, resources, and tools for implementing Evidence-based Practices (EBPs) in Treatment Foster Care (TFC) service settings. The Resource Guide identifies specific models, interventions, and tools that TFC providers can use to deliver effective services to the children, youth, and families in their care. It also provides “how-to” information to help TFC providers successfully implement desired EBPs in their programs.
The purpose of this report is to capture and publish information from an exhaustive needs assessment process conducted over a period of nine months. In Their Own Words is the work of over 200 courageous women and men in the State of Maine who have dared to hope that the truth and wisdom of their experience will be heard by those in power, and that Maine’s mental health and human service systems will respond to the long ignored plight of children and adults traumatized by histories of interpersonal violence.
Intimate or Childhood Sexual Abuse and Obesity in Kentucky
This study concluded that sexual abuse, whether experienced as an adult or child, was associated with a 32% increase in obesity among 4,391 women in Kentucky. The study also found that intimate partner violence and obesity are common health threats for women. The authors suggest that efforts to prevent physical and sexual abuse and mental health consequences of abuse on victims can have implications to improve women's health.
Intimate Partner Violence and Healthy People 2010 Fact Sheet (pdf)
This paper draws statistics from a growing body of research that has linked intimate partner violence (IPV) to many of the leading health indicators defined in the federal Healthy People 2010 initiative. The Healthy People 2010 Leading Health Indicators covered in this fact sheet include: Overweight and Obesity, Tobacco Use, Substance Abuse, Responsible Sexual Behavior, Mental Health, Injury and Violence, Immunization, and Access to Health Care.
This document introduces voices of battered immigrant, refugee and indegenious women who were also involved in Child Protection Services. The document explores how community approach can enhance the physical, spiritual and mental health of individuals, families and communities and how this concept can be well utilized for policy and practice for social services.
Leave or Stay?: Battered Women's Decision After Intimate Partner Violence
"Using data from the Domestic Violence Experience in Omaha, Nebraska, a discrete-time hazard model was employed to examine a woman's decision to leave or stay based on four factors: financial independence, witness of parental violence, psychological factors, and the police response to the domestic violence call."
Mandatory Reporting of Child Abuse and Neglect: State Statutes and Professional Ethics (pdf)
A comprehensive listing of state statutes on mandatory reporting of child abuse and neglect. Also included is a listing of reporting requirements and code of ethics for professionals in various fields.
This study of the services and supports provided by domestic violence programs in four states was designed to help fill a gap in current knowledge about the range of services provided, and the needs and experience of survivors. The study results show that domestic violence programs address compelling needs that survivors cannot meet elsewhere.
An executive summary can be found here
Mental Health and Domestic Violence: Collaborative Initiatives, Service Models, and Curricula (pdf)
This document, geared toward professionals, contains information and guidelines for addressing the mental health impact of domestic violence and trauma. It examines collaborative treatment and service delivery models and reviews a few well respected training curricula.
New York State Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence Fall 2010 Bulletin (pdf)
In the latest issue of the NY State Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence's (OPDV) quarterly newsletter, topics include Domestic Violence and Suicide, Media Coverage of Domestic Violence, Legislative Update, Model Guidelines for College Campuses, and LGBT Curriculum update.
On the Road to Equality: Statewide Findings & Policy Recommendations (pdf)
"A supplement to the Status of Girls in Minnesota report by the Women’s Foundation of Minnesota in partnership with the Institute for Women’s Policy Research. Focus groups were conducted in 18 Minnesota communities that included African American, Latino, Native American, Asian American, LBT (Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender), and disabilities communities — to share key research findings and gain community input. This report captures the voices and policy recommendations of these communities, nonprofit and public leaders."
Physical Dating Violence Among High School Students --- United States, 2003
This article in brief addresses the incidence of physical dating violence among high school adolescents and introduces risk as well as protective factors.
Prevalence and Determinants of Intimate Partner Abuse Among Public Hospital Primary Care Patients (pdf)
"The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence, sociodemographic determinants, and depression correlates of intimate partner abuse among an ethnically diverse population of women patients."
This piece is an excerpt from Mental health consequences of intimate partner violence in C. Mitchell and D. Anglin (Eds.), Intimate partner violence: A health based perspective. In this excerpt, the authors speak to the volumes of research documenting the effects of violence across the lifespan which indicate that abuse, violence and discrimination play a key role in many of the health and mental health problems experienced by women in the U.S. and throughout the world.
Preventing and Responding to Teen Dating Violence
This special collection emphasizes collaborative and multilevel approaches to the prevention of, and response to, teen dating violence. It draws on the work of many organizations and organizes the resources on TDV prevention and responses by different populations.
Programming to Address Violence against Women (pdf)
"This is the second volume in a series that focuses on prevention and response tools for violence against women. The publication features eight case studies that highlight initiatives that have proven successful in combating violence against women: Algeria, Guatemala, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe. The UNFPA hopes to support current efforts in the eight case study countries and encourage other countries to take steps toward ending violence against women."
Psychological Abuse: A Discussion Paper (pdf)
"This paper is a review of research on psychological abuse in interpersonal and family relationships including in settings such as long-term care residences.The paper presents research findings on the personal, economic and health related costs of psychological abuse to the individual and to society, and briefly outlines legal recourses for victims. It concludes by exploring ways to recognize and address psychological abuse, while emphasizing the importance of developing holistic approaches "
Psychological Maltreatment of Women Inventory
This tool was created by Dr. Tolman for use in research on woman abuse. The questionnaire (PMWI-Female version) asks about actions that women experience in their relationships with their intimate partner.
Public Health, Mental Health and Violence Against Women Report
This monograph canvasses the most recent global, national and Victorian research which examines the nature and incidence of violence against women. It also enumerates the costs of this violence, in terms of mental and physical health, and the social and economic costs borne by the whole of the community as a consequence of the combination of cultural and individual factors that give rise to violence against women. This document also takes up the challenges made by the WHO Report on Violence and Health and makes recommendations about potential areas of activity that VicHealth may wish to consider for development through the mental health promotion strategy.
Reproductive Justice & Violence Against Women: Understanding the Intersections
"The purpose of this special collection is to provide resources and an introduction to reproductive justice, focusing particularly on the connections between the elimination of reproductive oppression and domestic and sexual violence."
Responding to Domestic Violence: Tools for Mental Health Providers (pdf)
The information in this toolkit is provided to help prepare mental health providers on how to be responsive to domestic violence. Besides information on providing trauma-informed services, there are examples of intake assessments,suggestions for documentation of domestic violence in mental health records, danger assessments and safety planning checklists.
Screening and Assessment Tools for Child Welfare
Offers an alphabetical listing of screening and assessment tools for child welfare. These tools can be used by workers directly with families, building a common understanding regarding the family's needs, strengths, and resources, and that can be used to measure progress on goals over time.
Shattered Hearts: The Commercial Sexual Exploitation of American Indian Women and Girls in Minnesota (pdf)
A groundbreaking report released by the Minnesota Indian Women’s Resource Center (MIWRC) highlights the alarming and pervasive sex trafficking of American Indian women and girls in Minnesota. The first comprehensive report of its kind, it highlights risk factors for victims that include poverty, a disproportionate number of American Indian homeless, high incidences of overall sexual assault, Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) and pervasive multi-generational trauma.
Starting Smart: How Early Experiences Affect Brain Development
"This report provides a straightforward summary of the interactions between early brain development, childhood emotional experiences and trauma. Drawing from this research, it concludes by making a case for increased services to counter the disadvantages faced by children who experience trauma or neglect."
"This 2008 report provides detailed information on the status of girls in Minnesota. It also serves as a tool for advocates, researchers, and policy makers in developing a set of interventions that will ensure girls’ economic, social, and political equality in the state. "
This toolkit is intended to assist mental health providers in developing domestic violence-informed policies for responding to subpoenas and other demands for client records.
Substance Abuse Among Southeast Asians in the U.S.: Implications for Practice and Research
"The literature on Asian-American substance use has shown a general increase in consumption and related problems due, in part, to the effects of acculturation toward U.S. drinking norms. Southeast Asians arc the most recent of Asian groups to come to the U.S., and have done so following an immigration and refugee experience that was among the most traumatic in recent memory resulting in significant levels of psychosocial distress. The combined influences of mental health disorders, which frequently co-occur with substance abuse, and acculturation pressures suggest that a significant increase in substance abuse problems may be in progress for Southeast Asian immigrants. The current article outlines the literature on substance abuse among Vietnamese, Cambodians and Laotians in the U.S., and makes tentative recommendations for assessment, treatment and future research."
Supervised Visitation: Information for Mothers Who Have Been Abused (pdf)
"This Guide should be given directly to mothers who have experienced abuse and whose children are in supervised visitation programs. It will tell mothers basic information about how supervised visitation programs work and how she can prepare herself and her children for the experience. If she is afraid of her children’s father or was abused by him, then the information in this Guide will be particularly helpful to her."
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has released a new toolkit which is designed to help continue the survival of Grassroots Community-Based organizations concerned about continuing critical services for people affected by substance abuse and mental health disorders.
This report examines the links between eating disorders and violence against women and girls. It is based on information gathered from published literature as well as consultations with community workers, health practitioners, and mental health professionals. “Swallowing the Hurt” has been designed for use by frontline workers, health care and social service professionals, educators, and researchers who offer services directly for or who may interact with women and girls experiencing eating disorders or violence.
The Cost of Violence in the United States
"The items on this fact sheet provide evidence of the large health and economic burden of violence in the US as reported in the journal article, Medical Costs and Productivity Losses Due to Interpersonal Violence and Self- Directed Violence."
The Epidemiology of Trauma and Trauma-Related Disorders in Children and Youth (pdf)
"This publication reviews general population studies, disaster research, child maltreatment studies, and special population studies that report the prevalence of PTSD in children, adolescents, and young adults. It includes a brief discussion of the cumulative adverse effects of traumatic stress experienced from infancy through adolescence."
The Impact of Conflict on Women and Girls in West and Central Africa and the UNICEF response (pdf)
"This first-of-its-kind study by UNICEF on the situation of war-affected girls and women in the region highlights innovative programmes being implemented with partners to address the impact of conflict, and recommends how UNICEF can more proactively champion the rights of girls - particularly adolescent girls."
The Intersection of Domestic Violence and the Military: Working across disciplines
This VAWnet special collection examines co-occurring issues experienced by veterans -- including Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), and Military Sexual Trauma (MST) -- and provides information related to best practices when addressing these co-occurring issues through a multi-systems approach. Challenges experienced by female service members and veterans are explored through the lens of violence against women.
The Origin and True Purpose of the Paddle (pdf)
In this article, the authors explain the origins of paddling in a historical context of slavery, as well as the psychological effects of using corporal punishment on children.
The prevalence of child abuse and neglect
"A resource sheet that summarizes the current knowledge about the prevalence of child abuse and neglect in Australia. It provides an overview of Australian studies that have estimated the prevalence of the different forms of child maltreatment."
The Psychological Maltreatment of Children -Technical Report (2002)
"Psychological maltreatment is a common consequence of physical and sexual abuse but also may occur as a distinct entity. Until recently, there has been controversy regarding the definition and consequences of psychological maltreatment. Sufficient research and consensus now exist about the incidence, definition, risk factors, and consequences of psychological maltreatment."
The Unclaimed Children Revisited, California Case Study (pdf)
"The purpose of the California Case Study is to identify, document, and analyze effective fiscal, infrastructural, and related policies that support research-informed practices for mental health services to children and adolescents in California."
Traumatic Brain Injury and Domestic Violence: Understanding the Intersections
"This Special Collection offers information about the intersection between domestic violence and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). It provides advocates and other professionals with tools to screen for TBI within the context of domestic violence as well as presentations, articles, and other relevant resources on the topic. "
This forum addresses the nature and affects of vicarious trauma and compassion fatigue and provides methods to identify and treat them. Hosted by expert Debby Tucker, Executive Director for the National Center on Domestic and Sexual Violence.
Violence Against Women: Classic Papers
The purpose of this project was to assemble some of the classic works in the field of violence against women so that new generations of students, practitioners, and researchers would have a collective understanding of the work that has shaped the field. Included are commentaries from the original authors, when available, reflecting on why they authored the work when they did and the influence of their work on the field.
Welfare, Poverty, and Abused Women: New Research and its Implications (pdf)
"This summary of studies on domestic violence and TANF recipients explores their physical and mental health and work experience. It focuses on interference from their partners, barriers to work, the Family Violence Option, and the Child Support Exemption."
What Is Trauma and Why Is It Important?
This is the first issue in a series focusing on trauma and child welfare systems. This issue defines trauma and describes its significance. Successive issues will highlight childhood trauma in the context of culture and identify ways in which child welfare systems can best respond to children.
This report documents the prevalence of intimate partner violence and its association with women's physical, mental, sexual and reproductive health. Data is included on non-partner violence, sexual abuse during childhood and forced first sexual experience. Information is also provided on women’s responses: Whom do women turn to and whom do they tell about the violence in their lives? Do they leave or fight back? Which services do they use and what response do they get?
World Report on Violence against Children
"This book addresses all violence against children within the family, schools, alternative care institutions and detention facilities, places where children work and communities. It lists the relevant international and national legal instruments and standards. It also describes the nature and impact of all forms of violence, indicating possible risk and causal factors. Finally, and most important, based on existing evidence and concrete examples, it provides detailed recommendation on measures to be taken to enhance the protection of children from violence."
Military/Law enforcement
Victim Advocate Guide: Intimate Partner Violence and Combat Experience (pdf)
This resource provides guidance on how to assess and respond to the heightened risk of severe violence, suicide, and homicide linked to the co-occurrence of combat trauma and Intimate Partner Violence.
(Un)heard Voices: Domestic Violence in the Asian American Community (pdf)
This publication is based on the results of a focus group with Asian immigrant women and Asian American women from different backgrounds. Various questions and issues are addressed such as identifying victims and perpetrators, prevalence of domestic violence in Asian communities, barriers confronting Asian women and more. The report also gives recommendations to service providers and a national list of organizations committed to serving battered Asian women.
"This paper examines the process Vermont used, including areas of both agreement and uncertainty, and introduces the protocol to a wider audience of interveners. It draws on a review of planning notes and other documents and a series of interviews with those who participated in shaping the process and the protocol. It provides a starting point for other communities to explore their own response to children at domestic violence incidents, as well as an approach that can be used to examine other aspects of intervention."
Breaking the Silence: A Training Manual for Activists, Advocates, and Latina Organizers (pdf)
"A guide for domestic violence service providers, activists, counselors and others focused on advancing the rights of battered immigrant women. Based on the FVPF's successful pilot project, the manual provides essential details on how to start organizing and maintaining a group of activists and counselors. This guide is also available in Spanish."
Breaking the Silence: A Training Manual for Activists, Advocates, and Latina Organizers (Spanish) (pdf)
"The first ever guide for domestic violence service providers, activists, counselors and others focused on advancing the rights of battered immigrant women. Based on the FVPF's successful pilot project, the manual provides essential details on how to start organizing and maintaining a group of activists and counselors. This guide is also available in English."
This document presents ideas, concepts, and strategies to encourage community-based domestic violence advocates and their law enforcement allies to consider new approaches to partnership and problem-solving.
Community Corrections Response To Domestic Violence: Guidelines For Practice (pdf)
"This document provides a series of guidelines for community corrections professionals that support a proactive community supervision approach for domestic violence cases. It pulls together in one place for community corrections professionals and allied justice system and community-based services the conceptual information and practical tools to develop or enhance effective programs."
Community Policing and Domestic Violence: Five Promising Practices (pdf)
This document provides a background and history of community policing and outlines promising practices in the area of collaboration between police and communities. Case studies from Chicago, Marin County, Duluth, and London are also presented.
"Two studies were conducted to identify the incidence (Study 1) and characteristics (Study 2) of juvenile prostitution cases known to law enforcement agencies in the United States. Findings indicate law enforcement responses to juvenile prostitution are influential in determining whether such youth are viewed as victims of commercial sexual exploitation or as delinquents."
Confronting Sexual Violence in Conflict Situations (pdf)
"This document is one of four sections to be published in the organization's upcoming handbook, 'Women Claiming Justice: Using International Law in Conflict and Post-Conflict Situations'. The report outlines the various manifestations of sexual violence frequently exhibited in conflict zones, specifically highlighting rape and sexual abuse, domestic violence, sexual exploitation, and trafficking. Also provides a “Peace Builders Action Toolkit” with resources for activists working to create peace and justice. "
Discussion Paper on IACPʹs Policy on Domestic Violence by Police Officers (pdf)
The International Association of Chiefs of Police most recent document relating to the issues and concepts of creating policy around domestic violence perpetrated by police officers.
Domestic violence model policy for the law enforcement community (pdf)
The purpose of this document from the International Association of Chiefs of Police is to establish guidelines for law enforcement officers in response to domestic violence calls. Clearly lays out the policy, definitions, and procedures.
Enforcing Domestic Violence Firearm Prohibitions: A Report on Promising Practices (pdf)
"This report highlights promising practices currently employed around the United States and in tribal jurisdictions that represent innovative approaches to enforcing domestic violence firearm prohibitions. It provides brief descriptions of programs that are located primarily in law enforcement agencies, prosecutors’ offices, courts, and probation departments."
Fact Sheet: Domestic Violence in the Military (pdf)
"This fact sheet includes statistics that reflect recent research concerning domestic violence in the military."
Hate Violence against Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender People in the United States (pdf)
This is a report about bias-motivated incidents targeting lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans-gender, queer, and questioning (LGBT) individuals in the U.S. during the year 2008. The report includes statistics on violence against LGBT people, stories from survivors, information on where to get help, safety tips, and information on hate crime laws.
Human Rights Watch World Report 2010 (pdf)
"This 20th annual World Report summarizes human rights conditions in more than 90 countries and territories worldwide. It reflects extensive investigative work undertaken in 2009 by Human Rights Watch staff, usually in close partnership with human rights activists in the country in question."
Iraq: Insecurity and Violence Against Women
"This document aims to raise awareness about some of the realities facing women in Iraq. The collection focuses more specifically on how current events in Iraq have uniquely impacted Iraqi women and have engendered various forms of violence against women."
Keeping Children Safe When Parents Are Arrested: Local Approaches That Work
This report presents protocols developed by four California communities that coordinated responses between child welfare services and law enforcement when parents are arrested. The report found that there were decreased trauma rates in the communities, fewer children taken into custody by child protective services, and increased positive interaction between parents, communities, and law enforcement.
Leave or Stay?: Battered Women's Decision After Intimate Partner Violence
"Using data from the Domestic Violence Experience in Omaha, Nebraska, a discrete-time hazard model was employed to examine a woman's decision to leave or stay based on four factors: financial independence, witness of parental violence, psychological factors, and the police response to the domestic violence call."
Multi-Agency Practice Guidelines: Handling Cases of Forced Marriage (pdf)
"This report lists warning signs and appropriate actions for teachers and other school employees to take when they suspect a forced marriage of a child is imminent. The report also contains guidelines for police officers, health care professionals, and social workers, and provides general information on good practices when caring for victims of forced marriage."
"The purpose of this work is to describe to practitioners what the research tells us about domestic violence, including its perpetrators and victims, the impact of current responses to it and, more particularly, the implications of that research for day-to-day, real-world responses to domestic violence by law enforcement officers, prosecutors and judges."
Problem-Oriented Guides for Police - Domestic Violence (pdf)
Domestic disputes are some of the most common calls for police service. This guide discusses domestic disputes that involve violence, as well as the measures that can be used to reduce them. This is an essential tool for law enforcement to help analyze and respond to their local problem.
Programming to Address Violence against Women (pdf)
"This is the second volume in a series that focuses on prevention and response tools for violence against women. The publication features eight case studies that highlight initiatives that have proven successful in combating violence against women: Algeria, Guatemala, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe. The UNFPA hopes to support current efforts in the eight case study countries and encourage other countries to take steps toward ending violence against women."
This handbook highlights the “full faith and credit” provision of the Violence Against Women Act, which requires enforcement of valid orders anywhere, regardless of where they were issued. In addition, it addresses related issues including firearms and stalking.
The Impact of Conflict on Women and Girls in West and Central Africa and the UNICEF response (pdf)
"This first-of-its-kind study by UNICEF on the situation of war-affected girls and women in the region highlights innovative programmes being implemented with partners to address the impact of conflict, and recommends how UNICEF can more proactively champion the rights of girls - particularly adolescent girls."
The Intersection of Domestic Violence and the Military: Working across disciplines
This VAWnet special collection examines co-occurring issues experienced by veterans -- including Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), and Military Sexual Trauma (MST) -- and provides information related to best practices when addressing these co-occurring issues through a multi-systems approach. Challenges experienced by female service members and veterans are explored through the lens of violence against women.
Trauma-Informed Care for Women Veterans Experiencing Homelessness: A Guide for Service Providers
Trauma Informed Care for Women Veterans Experiencing Homelessness is designed to be used by community-based service agencies that work with homeless female veterans and was created to address the psychological and mental health needs of women veterans. Research suggests that 81-93% of female veterans have been exposed to some type of trauma, significantly higher rates than the civilian population (Zinzow et al., 2007). Traumatic experiences include childhood abuse and neglect, domestic violence, military sexual trauma, and combat-related stress. These experiences have a significant impact on mental and physical health, family relationships, and housing and job stability.
UNIFEM Facts & Figures on Violence Against Women
The United Nations Development Fund For Women provides statistics on many forms of violence women face including domestic and intimate partner violence, sexual violence, trafficking of women and girls, HIV/AIDS and violence, and more.
"The intent of this protocol is to assist law enforcement officers in their response to children at the scene of domestic violence incidents. In addition, the protocol outlines an effective response which includes: assessing whether children have been physically harmed, minimizing the impact and repercussions to children who are present, empowering children as much as possible in the process, maintaining victim safety, and maintaining batterer accountability."
Violence Against Women: Classic Papers
The purpose of this project was to assemble some of the classic works in the field of violence against women so that new generations of students, practitioners, and researchers would have a collective understanding of the work that has shaped the field. Included are commentaries from the original authors, when available, reflecting on why they authored the work when they did and the influence of their work on the field.
Women in Mongolia: Mapping Progress under Transition
This publication tells of Mongolian women's experiences in the context of the political and economic transformation of their country. It shares reports of women encouraged to bear many children, inadequate health care or resources, and high rates of maternal mortality. Recommendations informed through case studies are presented for improving their social and economic status and increasing their political participation.
Multimedia
Addressing Elder Sexual Abuse: Developing a Community Response
This multimedia curriculum is created to promote community partnerships in combating elder sexual abuse. This is a joint project of the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape and the Pennsylvania Department of Aging and is funded bythe Pennsylvania Department of Aging and the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime & Delinquency.
Lessons Learned From the Domestic Violence Community
"Effective Interventions in Domestic Violence and Child Maltreatment Cases: Guidelines for Policy and Practice, known as the Greenbook, was published in 1999 by the Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges in collaboration with other experts. It provides guidelines for child welfare, domestic violence service providers and family courts to work together more effectively to serve families experiencing violence, and served as the foundation for the work of the Greenbook demonstration communities. The new video clips present interviews with domestic violence advocates in the Greenbook demonstration sites about lessons learned in their communities over the six years of the initiative."
Online Learning Tools on Violence Against Women
"This collection provides a sampling of available Online Learning Tools with subject matter related to violence against women prevention and intervention. The resources listed here can be used for the purposes of staff development (by individuals), or as tools for trainers (in groups).Many of the tools in this list offer Continuing Education Credits (CEUs) to fulfill licensure requirements for professionals in certain disciplines."
Other
52 Days of Domestic Violence Flu in America (pdf)
In this article, the author highlights that in the midst of public health concerns such as the swine flu, domestic violence is another pandemic that often goes unnoticed with majority of the fatalities involving men as the perpetrators of violence against women and children. The article concludes with a list of victims and their killers and serves as a reminder that domestic violence has been, and continues to be a concern for all to address.
Awareness and Attitudes About Domestic Violence
"This brief report summarizes findings from 2 focus groups and a telephone poll of 600 women in June, 2006 regarding their views about domestic violence. Demonstrates understanding of domestic violence and attitudes towards accountability and intervention."
Battered Women’s Protective Strategies
"This Applied Research paper adopts a holistic approach to understand battered women’s protective strategies, reviewing a wide range of strategies used by women to cope with numerous threats posed by battering, not just the threat of bodily harm."
Conflict Resolution Tools for Domestic Violence Shelter Staff
"This special collection includes selected materials and resources intended to equip advocates with a contextual framework and practical skills to better resolve conflicts that often arise within a shelter environment."
Critique of the "Battered Woman Syndrome" Model
This document provides an overview of the concept "battered women syndrome" and examines the inadequacy of the model for describing battered women's experiences, whether it is used in expert testimony, counseling, or advocacy.
The crosssystem dialogue is an approach that promotes and helps to facilitate communication among representatives working in the domestic violence, child welfare, and court system. It provides a formal structure to address conflict in a productive manner.
Diamonds: Stories of Women in The Asia-Pacific Network of People Living with HIV (pdf)
"Diamonds is a compilation of the personal narratives of ten women and one girl who are HIV-positive in the Asia Pacific region. The publication is accompanied by a documentary that focuses on four of these stories."
Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Data Collection Systems in the States, Final Report (pdf)
This report summarizes the findings of the domestic violence and sexual violence data collection systems. The report offers recommendations for further recording of data and how each of the States collect violence related data.
Equality Wheel (pdf)
Developed by the Duluth Domestic Abuse Intervention Project, the equality wheel shows different ways equality is defined in a relationship.
Equality Wheel (Spanish) (pdf)
Developed by the Duluth Domestic Abuse Intervention Project, the equality wheel shows different ways equality is defined in a relationship. A Spanish format is now available, called Igualidad.
Evaluating Violence Against Women Research Reports
This VAWNET document provides introductory guidelines for the use and evaluation of research reports on violence against women.
This article discusses the growing trend toward mandating women into batterer intervention programs and discusses why it occurs.
Family Violence in Canada: A Statistical Profile (pdf)
Provides and examines Canada's violence statistics to provide the most up-to-date data on the nature and extent of family violence in Canada. The report, which is produced annually as a part of the Canadian Government's Family Violence Initiative, monitors trends over time and offers statistics from a variety of sources on domestic violence, as well as child and elder abuse and family homicide.
Produced for the California Statewide Conference on Domestic Violence by SafeNETWORK, a (now defunct) project of the California Department of Health Services Maternal and Child Health Branch Domestic Violence Section and Intervace Children Family Services. The Herstory of Domestic Violence was originally researched and compiled by SafeNETWORK staff, April Howard and Susan Lewis. The Herstory was revised and updated for SafeNETWORK for the 1999 California Statewide Conference on Domestic Violence by Tamsen Stevenson and Cindi Love.
Patrick Stewart: the legacy of domestic violence
In this article, the actor describes how he regularly saw his father hit his mother and how the horrors of his childhood experiences remained with him throughout his adult life.
Power and Control Wheel (pdf)
The Power and Control Wheel was developed by battered women in Duluth who had been abused by their male partners and were attending women's education groups sponsored by the women's shelter. The Wheel used in our curriculum for men who have used violence against their female partners. While we recognize that there are women who use violence against men, and that there are men and women in same-sex relationships who use violence, this wheel is meant specifically to illustrate men's abusive behaviors toward women. The Equality Wheel was also developed for use with the same curriculum
Power and Control Wheel (Spanish) (pdf)
The power and control wheel was developed by battered women in Duluth, specifically for men who use violence against their female partners. A Spanish version is now available, called Poder Y Control.
Reflections from the Field: Considerations for Domestic Violence Specialists (pdf)
The purpose of this document is to share discussions that were had at a "Specialized Positions Meeting". The conversations had at this meeting focused on advances and insights based on the collective experience of specialists; framing key questions for policy makers and others interested in supporting, funding, and implementing specialist positions; and supporting those working as specialists by reaffirming the importance and difficulty of their role and proposing foundational questions for exploration to shape their role and responsibilities to guide the next generation of their work.
Reviewing Domestic Violence Fatalities: Summarizing National Developments
This document brings together information on domestic violence fatality reviews from across the country. It defines domestic violence, provides a state-by-state matrix of domestic violence death review initiatives, introduces teams' philosophies and the purposes and goals of teams, addresses team membership, explores death review team protocols, confronts concerns regarding confidentiality, liability, and immunity, offers a selection of investigative methods already used by teams as they conduct death reviews, and talks about the issue of effecting change through the process of reviewing domestic fatalities.
Shelter Rules: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
This document details both the positive and negative dynamics of shelters for battered women. It provides a critical analysis of the outcomes of shelter rules and guidelines.
Special Collection on Researching Violence Against Women Online
"The Internet offers an abundance of information about violence against women, including millions of websites, blogs, and other online resources. However, sifting through web content and finding accurate and useful information can be challenging. This Special Collection offers guidance that is meant to enhance skills and confidence on the Web, teaching ways to efficiently produce meaningful, relevant results."
Stories from Women with Disabilities
Real stories from women with disabilities. Each of them has survived abuse. Some talk about how they were abused by a parent or family member, others tell about abuse by a partner or husband, or by someone else. Some women already had a disability when they were abused, while for others, the abuse caused a disability.
This report provides an overview of feasibility studies, validation results, and ongoing research regarding the use of technology to facilitate screening for intimate partner violence and stimulate provider-patient discussions in the Emergency Department.
Transforming the National AIDS Response: Advancing Women’s Leadership and Participation (pdf)
"The second in a series of resource guides dedicated to highlighting strategies for incorporating gender equality and women’s rights into national HIV and AIDS responses. This publication discusses various approaches for advancing women’s leadership and meaningful participation of HIV-positive women in the AIDS response."
Using It or Losing It: Men's Construction of Their Violence Towards Their Female Partners
This research used a qualitative methodology to explore, in depth, (1) the way in which men use violence in their intimate relationships, and (2) understand the experience of violence.
Who Answers to Women? Gender & Accountability: Progress of the World's Women 2008/2009 (pdf)
"This report demonstrates that when gender-responsive accountability systems are put in place both nationally and internationally, the Millennium Development Goals and other international commitments to women will be met."
Parenting
Accountability and Connection with Abusive Men (pdf)
"This document is an effort to remedy the excessive focus on mothers in cases involving domestic violence. It provides suggestions for connecting with and holding abusers accountable. It is a resource for child protection workers, supervisors, managers and others working with families involved in the child protection system."
Advocacy Beyond Leaving: Helping Battered Women in Contact With Current or Former Partners (pdf)
A guide for domestic violence advocates providing information on improving outreach and responses to domestic violence victims who are in contact with their partners or children’s fathers. This guide addresses how to identify safety strategies, find resources and to know what to say when a victim’s focus and goals are to remain in contact, remain in the relationship or to improve their children’s relationship with their father.
Beyond Observation: Considerations for Advancing Domestic Violence Practice in Supervised Visitation (pdf)
"This paper presents considerations for expanded practice in the Supervised Visitation Grant Program and describes interventions that go beyond observation in the supervised visitation setting."
A paper on the impact of physical, sexual, and psychological abuse, and exposure to family violence on the sexual, reproductive, and parenting behaviors of young men.
Building Bridges Between Healthy Marriage, Responsible Fatherhood, and Domestic Violence Programs (pdf)
The authors discuss the disconnect between professionals working in domestic violence, healthy marriages, and responsible fatherhood and highlights the needs and benefits of collaboration.
Building Capacity in Child Welfare Systems: Domestic Violence Specialized Positions (pdf)
"The report seeks to assist policymakers and practitioners in developing specialist positions that are tailored to the circumstances of their communities and states. We offer observations about initial expectations for these positions and the evolution of the positions over time. We also set forth composite examples of each of the major types of specialized positions and lay out the components of each, including responsibilities, auspices and settings, competencies, and funding sources. By doing so, we highlight different approaches to improving understanding 2 of domestic violence and strengthening the likelihood of achieving safety for non-offending parents and their children."
Children Exposed to Intimate Partner Violence (pdf)
The information provided in this article centers on the effects of child exposure to domestic violence, parenting practices, the need for collaboration between domestic violence advocates and child protection workers, and interventions for exposed children.
"Using data on 4,401 couples who participated in the National Family Violence Survey, this article reports modeling of cultural norms or other processes that could account for the link between corporal punishment and partner violence. Because corporal punishment of adolescents occurs in over half of U.S. families, the findings suggest that elimination of this practice can reduce some of the psychological and social processes that increase the likelihood of future marital violence and perhaps other violence as well."
Danger Zone: Battered Mothers and Their Families in Supervised Visitation (pdf)
"This paper outlines research conducted at a supervised visitation center specifically for serving families where domestic violence was the primary reason for referral. The authors have classified their experiences based on these main subjects: battered women in supervised visitation, how battering continues during supervised visitation, how the rules of the supervised visitation center evolved during the first 18 months of implementation, the importance of well-trained visit monitors, and the need to include supervised visitation centers within a larger context of coordinated community responses to domestic violence."
Domestic Violence Against Women in Albania (pdf)
"This qualitative report examines the prevalence of domestic violence in Albania, including forms of domestic violence and complicating factors."
Engaging Boys and Men in Gender Transformation: The Group Education Manual (pdf)
"This manual offers trainers an array of participatory experiential exercises to reach men (and their partners), exploring gender socialization and its impact on HIV prevention and care. Piloted in Ethiopia, Namibia, South Africa and Tanzania, the manual is designed to assist trainers in developing curricula to work with men and boys on gender, HIV and AIDS issues."
Family Court Statistics: an overview of Family Court Statistics in New Zealand 2004 to 2008
This bulletin analyzes, between 2004 and 2008, the four main areas that come under the jurisdiction of the Family Court in New Zealand, including family violence and child protection.
Healing the Invisible Wounds: Children's Exposure to Violence A Guide for Families (pdf)
"This booklet helps parents and other caregivers understand the potential impact of exposure to violence on the development of their children, and provides practical suggestions for supporting the healing process."
Intergenerational Transmission of Partner Violence: A 20-Year Prospective Study (pdf)
An unselected sample of 543 children was followed over 20 years to test the independent effects of parenting, exposure to domestic violence between parents (ETDV), maltreatment, adolescent disruptive behavior disorders, and emerging adult substance abuse disorders (SUDs) on the risk of violence to and from an adult partner.
Intersection of Child Abuse and Children's Exposure to Domestic Violence
"This review addresses research on the overlap in physical child abuse and domestic violence, the prediction of child outcomes, and resilience in children exposed to family violence."
Intervention Strategies with Child Maltreating Men (pdf)
This document outlines the importance of healthy parenting following child maltreatment and adds to our understanding of adult male maltreatment intervention by offering some important insights and actionable recommendations.
It All Starts At Home: Male Adolescent Violence to Mothers (pdf)
This research examined male adolescents' abuse and violence to their sole parent mothers living in Australia. The research highlighted cultural, intra-generational and intergenerational issues relating to family violence, as well as the significant and lasting cumulative impact on the women, where the abuse was experienced from the women's ex-partners and their sons.
"This report from the FRIENDS National Resource Center for Community-Based Child Abuse Prevention provides and overview of a range of prevention strategies that have been found to have some evidence of being able to preventing child abuse and neglect. "
Operationalizing Accountability: The Domains and Bases of Accountability (pdf)
In this article, the authors focus on batterer accountability from a personal accountability standpoint. They created a working definition of accountability that was both theoretically sound and user friendly for participants. The authors concluded that learning how to be accountable in the domains of their daily life is important in facilitating their understanding of accountability in ways that will be useful to them in the future.
Parental Alienation Syndrome and Parental Alienation: Research Reviews (pdf)
This VAWnet document provides a historical and research overview of Parental Alienation Syndrome and Parental Alienation, identifies strategic issues for advocates working with victims, and offers guidelines to improve courts’ treatment of these issues.
Parenting in the Context of Domestic Violence (pdf)
This report describes children’s exposure to domestic violence, the needs of both parents and children in the context of domestic violence events, and the resources available to help them.
A resource on the impacts of spanking on children's growth and development.
Realizing the Promise of Home Visitation: Addressing Domestic Violence and Child Maltreatment (pdf)
"This guide is intended to help policy makers and advocates build a strong national policy framework to maximize the effectiveness and reach of early childhood home visiting programs. It is intended to ensure that federal home visiting policies directly address: the needs of mothers and children who are experiencing or at risk of experiencing domestic violence, the link between domestic violence and child abuse and neglect, and the impact of domestic violence on the health and well-being of children and families."
Safe Start Promising Approaches Communities: Working Together to Help Children Exposed to Violence (pdf)
Launched by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention(OJJDP) and its Federal partners in the Department of Justice and the Department of Health and Human Services, the initiative is designed as a national framework which seeks to address the needs of children exposed to violence. This booklet describes each of the 15 Safe Start Promising Approaches communities and outlines how these programs are integrating evidence-based or promising practices as well as other complementary interventions within their geographical, agency, and community contexts.
Supervised Visitation Programs: Information for Mothers Who Have Experienced Abuse (pdf)
"This guide was created for mothers who have experienced abuse and whose children are involved in supervised visitation programs. The guide provides information about how the programs work and how mothers can prepare themselves and their children for the experience."
Supervised Visitation: Information for Mothers Who Have Been Abused (pdf)
"This Guide should be given directly to mothers who have experienced abuse and whose children are in supervised visitation programs. It will tell mothers basic information about how supervised visitation programs work and how she can prepare herself and her children for the experience. If she is afraid of her children’s father or was abused by him, then the information in this Guide will be particularly helpful to her."
The Structured Decision Making Model: An Evidenced-based Approach to Human Services
Structured Decision Making (SDM) is an evidence-based model designed to help agencies and caseworkers make accurate risk assessments about families and children. A new guide from the Children's Research Center (CRC), a division of the National Council on Crime and Delinquency, reviews the principles of the SDM model and provides updated information on its use in jurisdictions around the country.
This Violence Against Women Online Resources commissioned document describes the intersection between woman abuse and parenting. The authors identify and discuss seven central themes that highlight the challenges of parenting in the context of woman abuse. Specific implications and recommendations for community and court service providers are also offered.
When Battered Women Stay... Advocacy Beyond Leaving
"This paper raises the key issues, questions, and dilemmas regarding advocacy with battered women who stay in their relationships. It discusses the limitations of safety strategies for leaving, and frames the issues central to the expansion of advocacy beyond leaving, including: 1) safety planning and advocacy with victims who stay; 2) ending violent and controlling behavior; and 3) knowing what children need to be OK."
Working with Children Towards a Healthy & Non-Violent Future
"This Special Collection provides a unique perspective on working with children (younger than 13 years of age), focusing on theories and strategies for raising respectful, non-violent people. Resources included here discuss child development and how to utilize this knowledge when implementing primary prevention strategies that foster healthy attitudes and behaviors"
Prevention
A Guide to Addressing Teen Dating Violence and Sexual Assault in a School Setting (pdf)
"This guide details schools' responsibility to take a leadership role to prevent and respond to teen dating and sexual violence in schools and in the community. While the information is specific to California, much can be applied nationally."
A Prevention Primer for Domestic Violence: Terminology, Tools, and the Public Health Approach
This document provides an introduction to basic prevention concepts by exploring the public health approach, two classification systems, a planning tool used to develop more comprehensive initiatives, and the importance of understanding terminology.
"This guidebook identifies key best practices to prevent and respond to sexual and intimate partner violence and stalking. It also provides short and long term action recommendations for colleges and universities to implement in four focused areas: preparedness, prevention, response and recovery."
Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation In Licensed Facilities (pdf)
Offers information and resources on elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation in licensed facilities.
Addressing the Intersection: Preventing Violence and Promoting Healthy Eating and Active Living (pdf)
"This document provides an explanation of the inter-relationship between violence and healthy eating and activity. The findings and recommendations offered in this paper can support practitioners and advocates in their work to prevent chronic disease in communities heavily impacted by violence. "
Advancing the Nation's Health: A Guide to Public Health Research Needs, 2006-2015 (pdf)
"This guide is meant to serve as a critical resource for research areas that should be addressed during the next decade by CDC and its partners in response to current and future public health needs and events."
Advocacy Beyond Leaving: Helping Battered Women in Contact With Current or Former Partners (pdf)
A guide for domestic violence advocates providing information on improving outreach and responses to domestic violence victims who are in contact with their partners or children’s fathers. This guide addresses how to identify safety strategies, find resources and to know what to say when a victim’s focus and goals are to remain in contact, remain in the relationship or to improve their children’s relationship with their father.
The third website installment profiles 13 communities that have undertaken efforts to reduce and prevent violence against women. The communities have developed a coordinated criminal justice response while maintaining a focus on victim safety and offender accountability.
Assessment for Lifetime Exposure to Violence as a Pathway to Prevention
Provides a brief overview of the research on lifetime exposure to violence and the long-term health consequences of violence. It also examines how assessment for lifetime exposure to violence can create a pathway to prevention and addresses the long-term consequences of exposure to violence over the lifespan.
Baseline Survey on Sexual and Gender Based Violence in Rwanda (pdf)
"This study was conducted to shed light on the magnitude of sexual and gender-based violence in Rwanda, and to determine and analyze the perceptions that communities have about the nature, causes and consequences of incidents of violence. This study also explores the subsequent actions that survivors have taken, and evaluates the role of various stakeholders in preventing and fighting sexual and gender-based violence."
Before it Occurs: Primary Prevention of Intimate Partner Violence and Abuse (pdf)
Focusing on primary prevention and applying lessons learned from past successes, our chapter presents a framework for meaningful health sector involvement in initiating the environmental change necessary to stop intimate partner violence and abuse before it occurs.
Building Bridges Between Healthy Marriage, Responsible Fatherhood, and Domestic Violence Programs (pdf)
The authors discuss the disconnect between professionals working in domestic violence, healthy marriages, and responsible fatherhood and highlights the needs and benefits of collaboration.
Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention : Reports from the Field and Ideas for the Future (pdf)
"This report summarizes findings from a PPN project conducted for the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation's Child Abuse Prevention Program. The project sought to assess the current state of the child abuse and neglect prevention field as well as identify potential future directions for the field in terms of emerging priorities and prevention strategies."
Child Maltreatment 2006 Report (pdf)
"The latest Child Maltreatment annual report reports statistical data from the states on reports of maltreatment, characteristics of the children involved and their perpetrators, fatalities tied to maltreatment, and services provided to prevent maltreatment or to address the consequences of maltreatment."
Children's Exposure to Violence: The Safe Start Initiative (pdf)
This April 2001 Factsheet presents an overview of the Safe Start Initiative. Researchers estimate that as many as 10 million U.S. children witness or are victims of violence in their homes or communities each year. The Safe Start Initiative, which was developed by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention in partnership with the Office of Justice Programs and the Department of Health and Human Services, is designed to prevent and reduce the impact of violence on young children and their families through the development of comprehensive and collaborative service delivery systems.
"Using data on 4,401 couples who participated in the National Family Violence Survey, this article reports modeling of cultural norms or other processes that could account for the link between corporal punishment and partner violence. Because corporal punishment of adolescents occurs in over half of U.S. families, the findings suggest that elimination of this practice can reduce some of the psychological and social processes that increase the likelihood of future marital violence and perhaps other violence as well."
Cost of Intimate Partner Violence Against Women in the United States (pdf)
This report describes briefly the development of the requested study; presents findings for the estimated incidence, prevalence, and costs of nonfatal and fatal IPV; identifies future research needs; and highlights CDC’s research priorities for IPV prevention.
Creating Safe Environments: Violence Prevention Strategies and Programs
This document addresses the increased need for specific primary prevention programs of various types of violence. Gang-violence, Sexual Violence, Adolescent and Adult Intimate Partner Violence, as well as others are addressed. Specific examples of promising programs and practices currently in existence throughout the United States are detailed.
Detecting, Addressing and Preventing Elder Abuse in Residential Care Facilities (pdf)
"This study focused on detection, investigation, and resolution of elder abuse and neglect complaints in what are known as residential care facilities."
Developing Culturally-Relevant Responses to Domestic Abuse: Asha Family Services, Inc. (pdf)
A model program, Asha Family Services, Inc., is a comprehensive family violence intervention and prevention agency located in Milwaukee, WI. Asha, the first and only recognized culturally-specific family violence intervention and prevention program in Wisconsin, employs methods specific to African American families.
Do Batterer Program Length or Approach Affect Completion or Re-Arrest Rates? (pdf)
This study compared outcomes between defendants sentenced to two batterer programs in Brooklyn, New York. A literature review on batterer programs is presented followed by the research methodology. The findings suggest that neither underlying program philosophy nor program length alone predict either program completion or future violence.
Domestic Violence and Faith Based Communities: Focus on African American Communities
"We know that domestic violence crosses all racial lines and that the root causes are sexism and the acceptance of violence against women in society. However, the dynamics of and contributors to domestic violence are culturally specific. This forum highlights some of the common, complex and culturally specific contributors to violence against African American women. It addresses the role of faith as a resource and a roadblock and offer concrete ways in which faith communities can respond to and support abused women and their children in the African American Community. Hosted by: Aleese Moore-Orbih"
Domestic Violence and Health Care
"This special collection on health care and domestic violence draws heavily from the work of the Family Violence Prevention Fund's Health Resource Center. The resources included in this special collection are organized into the following five areas: 1) the impact of domestic violence on health; 2) public health approaches to domestic violence prevention; 3) guidelines and issues concerning identification and intervention by health care providers; 4) information about collaboration between health care providers and domestic violence advocates; and 5) training. This special collection also includes a bibliography of related journal articles."
Domestic Violence and Sexual Violence in Minnesota: Strategies for Prevention and Intervention (pdf)
This planning tool addresses the issue of domestic and sexual violence as they relate to health care and public health in Minnesota.
Domestic Violence Awareness Project: 2010 Resource Packet
The Domestic Violence Awareness Project strives to develop and distribute resources and ideas relevant to Domestic Violence Awareness Month and educational activities that take place throughout the year. The 2010 packet includes a collection of informational materials, fact sheets, articles, and order forms for items available from the various organizations represented on the Project Advisory Group, as well as other national, statewide, and culturally specific organizations. The packet is available on their website to download free of charge.
This 2008 report contains data documenting the number of individuals who seek services in a 24 hour period, the types of services requested, the number of service requests that went unmet because of lack of resources, and the issues and barriers that domestic violence programs are facing as they strive tirelessly to provide services to victims of domestic violence. Also contains a state by state report on services requested and provided.
Domestic violence laws in Australia
The report analyzes domestic violence legislation in all Australian States and Territories and in New Zealand in order to assist the Australian Government’s National Plan to Reduce Violence Against Women and their Children. The report notes gaps and overlaps between State and Territory domestic violence protection orders and the Family Law Act 1975.
Domestic Violence Materials in Asian & Pacific Islander Languages (pdf)
A list of websites and weblinks containing domestic violence related resources in various Asian and Pacific Islander languages.
Dossier on Domestic Violence in Latin America and the Caribbean
"This publication includes a detailed balance of the work developed in Latin American and the Caribbean to eliminate violence against women. The objective of the publication is to have a tool that will help to design future activities in a more accurate way that take into account the economic, cultural and geographical women's reality of the Region in order to eliminate domestic violence. It also contains guidelines and recommendations for the future work on women’s rights for a life free of violence."
DVERT Training CD and Lesson Plan
Video clips and lesson plan from the DVERT Training CD, a video-rich program that provides a clear and succinct overview of the principles and practices the DVERT collaboration follows in combating domestic violence.
This document provides an overview of elder abuse including types of abuse, risk factors, and prevention and intervention strategies for individuals, families, and communities.
Elder Abuse: A Well Kept Secret
This article focuses on defining the scope of the problem, addressing the related issue of self-neglect, and outlining community resources for caregivers of the elderly.
Ending Violence Against Women: Programming for Prevention, Protection and Care (pdf)
"This handbook, intended primarily for development practitioners, provides practical points to consider when designing and implementing projects addressing violence against women. It is a collection of good practices drawn from ten case studies."
Engaging Boys and Men in Gender Transformation: The Group Education Manual (pdf)
"This manual offers trainers an array of participatory experiential exercises to reach men (and their partners), exploring gender socialization and its impact on HIV prevention and care. Piloted in Ethiopia, Namibia, South Africa and Tanzania, the manual is designed to assist trainers in developing curricula to work with men and boys on gender, HIV and AIDS issues."
Envisioning a Regional Curriculum: Working with Boys and Men for Gender-based Violence Prevention (pdf)
This consultation brought together 21 participants from 11 countries in East and Southeast Asia and the Pacific. The overall objective was to discuss a coordinated regional approach to capacity development for the region with the following goals:
-Explore the body of knowledge and training materials on masculinity, gender and violence prevention
-Discuss an outline of an adaptable training curriculum to be used for subsequent capacity development activities in the region
-Define a regional approach to training /capacity development and outline next steps
"This manual is designed to help violence prevention organizations hire an empowerment evaluator who will assist them in building their evaluation capacity through a learn-by-doing process of evaluating their own strategies. It is for state and local leaders and staff members of organizations, coalitions, government agencies, and/or partnerships working to prevent sexual violence, intimate partner violence, youth violence, suicide, and/or child maltreatment."
Facts & Stats: Domestic Violence in Asian, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Homes (pdf)
"Facts & Stats raises awareness about the experiences of Asian, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander battered women; counters denial about the problem; emphasizes the need for socio-culturally effective prevention and intervention; and serves to guide future research and inform public policy."
Facts: Intimate Partner Violence for the World Report on Violence and Health
"Describes the global epidemic of IPV in the following categories: The Extent of the Problem; The Consequences of Intimate Partner Violence; What are the Risk Factors for Intimate Partner Violence?; & What Can be Done to Prevent Intimate Partner Violence?"
Family Violence Death Review Committee First Annual Report (pdf)
The Family Violence Death Review Committee's overarching goal is to contribute to the prevention of family violence and family violence deaths in New Zealand. The report outlines the objectives and achievements for the first year as well as goals and recommendations for the following year.
Family Violence Prevention and Health Practice Winter 2010 Issue
This issue includes topics such as dating violence, recent domestic and sexual violence related research, and the intersection between domestic violence, poverty, substance abuse, and mental health.
Overviews from frequently asked violence against elderly persons.
Focus Groups of African-American Men: Perspectives on Addressing Domestic Violence
This study is the first step toward a larger, multi-site project that would obtain valuable information about how to help African-American men prevent or eliminate violence in relationships. The purpose of this paper is to identify realistic approaches by which African-American men can confront friends, neighbors, relatives, co-workers or strangers, who are African-American men who batter. What is unique about this study is that African-American men are the key informants.
Girls Count: A Global Investment & Action Agenda
"This report describes why and how to initiate effective investments that will give adolescent girls in developing countries a full and equal chance for rewarding lives and livelihoods."
Helpful or Harmful?: How Innovative Communication Technology Affects Survivors of Intimate Violence
This paper explores: 1) the prevalence of web usage by both survivors of intimate violence and the organizations that serve them; 2) the ways in which batterers misuse communication technology to monitor and control their partners activities; and 3) precautions that survivors and organizations can employ to safeguard themselves from liability, harm, and ethical conundrums.
Helping Culturally Diverse Victims of Interpersonal Violence: Avoiding Stereotypes & Meetings Needs
"This forum discusses the need to take people's culture into account when providing them with services for interpersonal violence and avoiding the trap of treating people in a cookie-cutter way, based on stereotypes about their culture. This forum is hosted by Lisa Aronson Fontes, PhD. Lisa is a Core Faculty Member in Union Institute & University's Psy.D. Program in Clinical Psychology and has dedicated almost 20 years to making the social service and mental health systems more responsive to culturally diverse people."
Here's Where We Start (pdf)
This booklet informs men of the extent of sexual and domestic violence and provides them with concrete ideas on how they can become part of the solution for ending these crimes. It outlines steps men can take to change the social norms that support sexual and domestic assaults.
HIV Positive Women Report More Partner Violence (pdf)
The paper examines violence as a risk factor for HIV infection that must be addressed through multilevel prevention approaches.
The guidelines offered here provide specific recommendations for screening and responding to domestic violence in child health settings, which provide a unique and important opportunity to screen for domestic violence and to educate parents about the impact of such violence on children. These guidelines also speak to the need for child health providers to engage in, model, and take leadership in delivering effective primary prevention of domestic violence, as well as other types of family and community violence, by highlighting violence prevention during well child and other routine visits, as a component of routine anticipatory guidance.
Improving the Health Care Response to Domestic Violence: A Resource Manual for Health Care Providers
This manual provides health care providers with a wide range of information and tools necessary to become more effective in domestic violence identification, intervention and prevention.
Integrating Community Building and Violence Prevention (pdf)
This report, which synthesizes the information gleaned from the key informant interviews and national strategy meeting, lays out a rationale for why it is important to simultaneously engage the two fields of violence prevention and community building, outlines to what extent the fields currently build from similar principles or philosophies and/or share practices, and explores how perceptions about each field create impediments to integration.
Interpersonal and Physical Dating Violence among Teens (pdf)
This Focus Report from the National Council on Crime and Delinquency finds that girls exposed to interpersonal violence are more likely to be exposed to other forms of violence, show a greater propensity for unsafe sexual activity, and a higher incidence of substance abuse and suicide than either boys or non-abused girls. The report also offers recommendations for primary prevention programs.
Intimate or Childhood Sexual Abuse and Obesity in Kentucky
This study concluded that sexual abuse, whether experienced as an adult or child, was associated with a 32% increase in obesity among 4,391 women in Kentucky. The study also found that intimate partner violence and obesity are common health threats for women. The authors suggest that efforts to prevent physical and sexual abuse and mental health consequences of abuse on victims can have implications to improve women's health.
"This document describes intimate partner violence (IPV) in immigrant and refugee communities in the United States. The report contains four main sections: background information on the incidence of the problem among immigrant and refugee communities, an overview of the needs and challenges of immigrant and refugee IPV victims and service providers, recommendations for funders, service providers and policy-makers, and lastly a discussion of IPV research and evaluation issues to be addressed in immigrant and refugee communities."
Making a Difference: State Injury and Violence Prevention Programs (pdf)
The publication includes a profile of each state, highlighting the state’s self-identified top injury issue, describing its programs and results, and the explaining the potential impact additional funding on the state’s injury prevention efforts.
Making a Difference: Strategic Communications to End Violence Against Women (pdf)
A toolkit for planning strategic communications to raise awareness about and combat gender-based violence around the world. It gives step-by-step information on developing a media campaign. Alternate version available in Russian.
"This manual was published by Transforming Communities, a California-based organization creating sustainable community-based approaches to preventing violence against women and girls. The authors provides a step-by-step approach to understanding how cost-benefit thinking can be applied to domestic violence prevention in order to persuade funders and policy makers of the need for programs. Contents include descriptions of specific prevention programs and their impact using a cost-benefit perspective, as well as guidance in building tools to strengthen and justify your prevention program to obtain funding and support."
"This report from the FRIENDS National Resource Center for Community-Based Child Abuse Prevention provides and overview of a range of prevention strategies that have been found to have some evidence of being able to preventing child abuse and neglect. "
Men in the Movement to End Violence Against Women: Training and Education
"This collection highlights several training tools and background information for use in promoting men's involvement in the movement to end violence against women. Also included are educational materials to support the teaching of non-violence to boys and young men. It is one in a series of three special collections focusing on the domestic violence prevention and education efforts of men. "
Mobilizing Communities to Prevent Domestic Violence
"This Applied Research document provides an overview of the research on community mobilization to prevent domestic violence, explores guiding concepts and frameworks, and discusses the challenges of implementing community mobilization strategies."
Models in Prevention - CDC's DELTA Program
The DELTA program seeks to reduce the incidence of intimate partner violence by providing funding to support local coordinated community responses (CCR's) adoption of primary prevention principles and practices. This special collection from VAWnet.org highlights the successes of this program and its grantees, providing materials to support replication of these efforts across the United States and globally.
Multi-Agency Practice Guidelines: Handling Cases of Forced Marriage (pdf)
"This report lists warning signs and appropriate actions for teachers and other school employees to take when they suspect a forced marriage of a child is imminent. The report also contains guidelines for police officers, health care professionals, and social workers, and provides general information on good practices when caring for victims of forced marriage."
National Plan to Reduce Violence Against Women and their Children (Australia) (pdf)
The Australian National Plan provides the framework for action by the Commonwealth, state and territory governments to reduce violence against women and their children.
The central goals of the National Plan are to reduce violence against women and their children and to improve how governments work together, increase support for women and their children, and
create innovative and targeted ways to bring about change.
The National Plan sets out six national outcomes for all governments to deliver during the next 12
years. The outcomes will be delivered through four three-year action plans, the first of which runs from 2010 to 2013.
New York State Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence Fall 2010 Bulletin (pdf)
In the latest issue of the NY State Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence's (OPDV) quarterly newsletter, topics include Domestic Violence and Suicide, Media Coverage of Domestic Violence, Legislative Update, Model Guidelines for College Campuses, and LGBT Curriculum update.
Nursing Education and Violence Prevention, Detection and Intervention (pdf)
This document presents an overview of the recent literature on the education of nurses in the area of violence prevention, detection and intervention. The goal is to inform educators, researchers and policy makers about gaps in educations services and areas of needed research.
Ohio Elder Abuse Task Force Report (pdf)
This report consists of recommendations, issues for future consideration, and implementation strategies for the prevention of elder abuse as a result of research done by the Ohio Elder Abuse Task Force.
Online Learning Tools on Violence Against Women
"This collection provides a sampling of available Online Learning Tools with subject matter related to violence against women prevention and intervention. The resources listed here can be used for the purposes of staff development (by individuals), or as tools for trainers (in groups).Many of the tools in this list offer Continuing Education Credits (CEUs) to fulfill licensure requirements for professionals in certain disciplines."
"This report documents good practices in preventing and responding to gender-based violence. The five case studies featured within document initiatives in Armenia, Romania,Turkey and the Ukraine that were implemented by governments and other partners with the support of UNFPA. Although the reports focus on initiatives in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, the practices and lessons learned can be applied throughout the globe."
Physicians and Domestic Violence: Challenges for Prevention (pdf)
The author discusses a need for health care professionals to invest their efforts in the fight against domestic violence.
"This report includes a discussion of primary prevention of intimate partner violence, promising approaches to environmental/norms change, an examination of IPV primary prevention within immigrant communities, recommended actions to building momentum for primary prevention of IPV, and immediate next steps. The report is designed as a catalyst and call to action, to give a sense of direction and raise some issues for consideration."
Predictors of Program Outcome and Recidivism at the Bronx Misdemeanor Domestic Violence Court (pdf)
In this study, the authors examine cases in the Bronx for possible correlates of program mandate non-completion and recidivism. A literature review of domestic violence prevention and intervention programs is presented followed by the research study and outcomes.
Preventing and Responding to Domestic & Sexual Violence in Later Life
"This special collection brings together selected materials related to preventing and responding to elder abuse, specifically domestic and sexual violence. It highlights the complexities of older people's DV/SV experiences and emphasizes collaborative and multi-pronged approaches to addressing DV/SV in later life."
Preventing and Responding to Teen Dating Violence
This special collection emphasizes collaborative and multilevel approaches to the prevention of, and response to, teen dating violence. It draws on the work of many organizations and organizes the resources on TDV prevention and responses by different populations.
Preventing Domestic Violence: Clinical Guidelines on Routine Screening (pdf)
In this document, the Family Violence Prevention Fund presents recommendations for how domestic violence screening should occur within the health care system and recommends that all health care institutions and practitioners follow these guidelines which include both a general policy statement and specific recommendations.
Preventing Family Violence: Community Engagement Makes the Difference (pdf)
The FVPF identified organizations and systems across the country that are using community mobilization strategies to reach out to families that need help and to involve community residents, service providers and institutions in preventing family violence.This report looks at some of the lessons learned from these efforts and will inform and facilitate more successful engagement strategies to prevent family violence across the country. The report discusses five goals that emerged and includes descriptions of programs addressing each goal. Additionally, the report identifies practical guidelines that are critical to effective efforts to prevent family violence.
In a two-year process,a multidisciplinary group of experienced prevention practitioners, stakeholders, advocates, and organizations formed a Prevention Steering Committee that conducted a statewide needs and resources assessment from which three goals were developed to prevent the first-time occurrence of intimate partner and sexual violence.
Michigan’s plan uses a public health approach to benefit the largest group possible and emphasizes building the capacity of individuals, organizations and systems to more effectively identify, implement, and evaluate prevention strategies, especially those that prevent first-time perpetration.
Preventing Violence Against Women and Children: Workshop Summary
"The Institute of Medicine, Forum on Global Violence Prevention held its first workshop January 27-28, 2011 to explore the prevention of violence against women and children. The workshop was designed to examine approaches to violence prevention from multiple perspectives and diverse levels of society. The workshop brought together stakeholders to discuss intervention strategies to prevent violence before it starts, prevent the recurrence of violence, prevent violence-related trauma, and stop the spread of violence to the next generation or social level. Speakers suggested a need to advance research on the co-occurrence of abuse on both child and partner, changing social norms, and the state of violence prevention research in low- and middle-income countries. This document is a summary of the workshop."
Preventing violence and reducing its impact: How development agencies can help (pdf)
This document makes the case for increased attention on the impact of violence on development by international development agencies. A key aim is to stimulate dialogue on the role of international development agencies in the prevention of violence globally, and ultimately to increase investment in a commonly agreed set of applied violence prevention strategies. The primary audience for this document is policy-makers, high-level planners, and others in the international development field.
A Prevention Institute memo highlighting opportunities for improving safety and well-being in our nation’s urban areas while saving money and stimulating the economy.
Preventing Violence the Problem-Solving Way
April 1999 Juvenile Justice Bulletin- Analyzes intervention methods based on the hypothesis that behavior can be modified by focusing on thought processes rather than on behaviors.
Prevention of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault
This VAWnet document summarizes the development of prevention initiatives related to domestic violence and sexual assault. It points out trends, promising developments, and suggestions for prevention strategies.
Primary Prevention and Adult Domestic Violence (pdf)
This paper briefly examines the available research and practice literature on frameworks for understanding domestic violence, risk and protective factors for adult domestic violence, and the few efforts geared toward primary prevention in this domain. It mentions secondary and tertiary prevention efforts in this field but does not review them. It ends by pointing to program and policy directions for future primary prevention efforts.
Programming to Address Violence against Women (pdf)
"This is the second volume in a series that focuses on prevention and response tools for violence against women. The publication features eight case studies that highlight initiatives that have proven successful in combating violence against women: Algeria, Guatemala, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe. The UNFPA hopes to support current efforts in the eight case study countries and encourage other countries to take steps toward ending violence against women."
Promoting gender equality to prevent violence against women (pdf)
"The World Health Organization has released a briefing highlighting the importance of the role gender plays in interpersonal violent situations, community- and school-based initiatives to empower women, the role of the media in altering gender norms, and the importance of engaging with men to combat violence against women. The briefing is one of an eight-part series on how to prevent interpersonal and self-directed violence."
Providing Services to Immigrant Women in Atlantic Canada (pdf)
"This article describes some of the findings of research conducted in 2005 and 2006, which found that being an immigrant was a factor not only in immigrant women’s experiences of violence in Atlantic Canada, but also in their access to support services. Immigrant women and the professionals who provide services to them describe some of the barriers they face and conclude that fully funded and coordinated prevention and intervention programs and services to immigrant women are needed in Atlantic Canada."
Public Health Policy for Preventing Violence (pdf)
"In this paper we discuss the new vision for violence prevention embodied in the public health approach."
Rape Prevention and Risk Reduction: Review of the Research Literature for Practitioners
"This Applied Research paper examines both single- and mixed-gender rape prevention and risk reduction programs, and provides suggestions for practitioners to design, implement, and evaluate programs."
Re-Examining ‘Battering’: Are All Acts of Violence Against Intimate Partners the Same? (pdf)
"This article differentiates among five categories of domestic violence by analyzing the dynamics, nuance and components of intimate partner violence, with the idea that this critical comprehension is vital in creating intervention and prevention models that befit the behavior. Grasping important differences in partner violence is crucial for researchers, practitioners and advocates for developing effective interventions for victims and perpetrators."
"This bulletin provides information to help professionals understand the connections between literacy and sexual violence"
2002 Report. Discusses national, state, and local issues and statistics in partner abuse and strategies for the prevention of domestic violence. Also available is a Power Point slide show that accompanies the report.
Safe States, 2003 edition (pdf)
This document explains how state health department injury prevention programs apply the public health model every day, achieving results that reduce injuries and save tens of thousands of lives.
This report examines the complexities of relationships between the criminal justice system and women's anti-violence movement. It also provides strategies for preventing violence against women in the future.
Social and Economic Costs of Violence: Workshop Summary
This document is the summary of a workshop held by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) Forum on Global Violence Prevention on the social and economic costs of violence. The workshop was designed to examine violence prevention approaches from multiple perspectives and at multiple levels of society. In particular, the workshop was focused on exploring the successes and challenges in presented interventions. Speakers were invited to share the progress and outcomes of their work and to engage in dialogue exploring gaps and opportunities in the field.
Spouse Assault Replication Program: Studies of Effects of Arrest on Domestic Violence
"Reviews NIJ studies on arrest policies for misdemeanor domestic assault, an attempt to replicate the Minneapolis Domestic Violence Experiment (1984), which found that arrest was almost twice as effective as other police actions in preventing re-arrest."
Stopping the Violence Against Women: The Movement from Intervention to Prevention (pdf)
This safety program report outlines the history of gender violence within the U.S. and offers suggestions for how to move beyond this problem towards prevention. Strategies for moving forward and a sample program are addressed.
Substance Abuse Treatment, Prevention, and Policy (pdf)
"This article discusses the results of a study and concludes that substance abuse treatment programs should incorporate violence exposure questions into clinical use as a matter of policy."
Surveillance for Violent Deaths -- National Violent Death Reporting System, 16 States, 2005
"This report summarizes data from CDC's National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS) regarding violent deaths from 16 U.S. states for 2005. Results are reported by sex, age group, race/ethnicity, marital status, location of injury, method of injury, circumstances of injury, and other selected characteristics."
This new study commissioned by NCEA highlights data sources on elder abuse in the health care, long term care, criminal justice, fiduciary, and legal services arenas, beyond adult protective services data. Such data are required as a basis for informed and enlightened social policy on the prevention and treatment of elder abuse.
The Impact of Conflict on Women and Girls in West and Central Africa and the UNICEF response (pdf)
"This first-of-its-kind study by UNICEF on the situation of war-affected girls and women in the region highlights innovative programmes being implemented with partners to address the impact of conflict, and recommends how UNICEF can more proactively champion the rights of girls - particularly adolescent girls."
The Role of Men and Boys in Achieving Gender Equality (pdf)
A United Nations report that recognizes eliminating violence against women through the promotion of gender equality. The report outlines obstacles men and boys face in this struggle and identifies ways in which they can be involved in preventing violence against women.
The State of the World Population 2005 (pdf)
A report on the eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) derived from the United Nations Millennium Summit's declaration to reduce poverty. The report is an outgrowth of the UN Millennium Project's conclusion that gender equality is a human right that is key to achieving the other seven goals. Chapter 7, "Gender-Based Violence: A Price Too High," specifically highlights a global picture of violence against women, affirming that "freedom from violence, especially for girls and women" is a core right and essential to the ability to lead a productive life.
Thinking About Homicide Risk: A Practice Framework for Counseling
This paper proposes a multi-systemic practice framework to help counselors assess for and respond to homicide risk in family violence contexts. The framework outlines the four main system domains that counselors may need to address: the client system; the therapeutic relationship; the organizational context; and the system of services.
Third Milestones of a Global Campaign for Violence Prevention Report 2007 (pdf)
"By 2007, three of the six WHO regional committees had adopted violence prevention resolutions, more than 25 countries had developed reports and/or plans of action on violence and health, and more than 100 officially appointed health ministry focal persons were in place to prevent violence, the report finds.The report offers a five year agenda to follow-up on key recommendations."
Third Milestones of a Global Campaign for Violence Prevention Report 2007: Scaling Up
"Reviews progress that has been made in violence prevention since October 2002 and sets out what the World Health Organization and its partners can do over the next 5 years to expand programming and to demonstrate the impact of violence prevention."
This is a good introduction to advocacy concepts used when working with victims of intimate violence, rape and child abuse. It is designed for use both as a workshop outline and as a guide for direct interactions with individual clients.
Together We Must! End Violence against Women and Girls and HIV & AIDS (pdf)
"This document represents an initial effort to draw attention to the knowledge, institutional capacity and resources needed to comprehensively address the intersection between HIV & AIDS and VAWG. The aim is to stimulate debate and collaboration among practitioners and advocates around how to identify and promote effective prevention policies and practices that can be adapted to various contexts."
This booklet, designed by the West Virginia Bureau for Public Health, helps young adults understand the dynamics of healthy relationships; the signs of controlling relationships; the strategies for dealing with dating violence; and the resources available to end the cycle of violence.
Understanding and Preventing Violence
"Discusses the findings of the National Academy of Sciences Panel on the Understanding and Control of Violent Behavior, established to review the current status of research in violence."
Understanding and Protecting Your Children from Child Molesters and Predators
"This packet provides information about child molesters and some of the things you, your family and community can do to help keep children safe."
Increasing emphasis has been placed on the importance of evidence-informed prevention strategies and evidence-based decision making. In this guidance document, the authors aim to explain the purpose and meaning of the Continuum of Evidence of Effectiveness, a tool that was developed to facilitate a common understanding of what the Best Available Research Evidence means in the field of violence prevention. This Continuum also serves to provide common language for researchers, practitioners, and policy-makers in discussing evidence-based decision making.
UNiTE to End Violence against Women: The Framework for Action (pdf)
"The overall objective is raising public awareness and increasing political will and resources for preventing and responding to all forms of violence against women and girls – in all parts of the world. The Framework for Action provides an overall “umbrella” for the efforts to be undertaken at global, regional, national and local levels. It identifies five key outcomes as benchmarks for the Campaign, to be achieved in all countries by 2015, and outlines a UN Programme of Activities and expected Outputs."
UNITY RoadMap: A Framework for Effectiveness and Sustainability
"The UNITY RoadMap is a resource for cities to prevent violence before it occurs by mapping out solutions to effectively and sustainably prevent violence. The UNITY RoadMap helps cities understand the current status of their efforts, describes the core elements necessary to prevent violence before it occurs, and provides information, resources, and examples to support cities in planning, implementation, and evaluation."
Violence Against Women and Girls: A Compendium of Monitoring and Evaluation Indicators (pdf)
"This compendium offers a set of monitoring and evaluation indicators for program managers, organizations, and policy makers working to address violence against women and girls at individual, community, district and national levels in developing countries."
Violence Against Women Prevention Programming: Report of What Is In Use (pdf)
This report presents data that is relevant to attempts to describe service use and impact. The survey, conducted in 2001, sought to gather information on the extent to which violence against women agencies provide prevention programs and to describe the nature and types of programs currently implemented.
This report discusses the (1) availability of information on the prevalence and risk of violence against pregnant women and on the number of pregnant women who are victims of homicide and (2) strategies and programs to prevent violence against pregnant women.
Violence in Families: Assessing Prevention and Treatment Programs
This is a full-text online book made available courtesy of The National Academies Press. This important book, published in 1998, details out chapter by chapter the different types of interventions to be utilized by different types of professionals, as well as makes recommendations.
Violence Prevention Alliance: Building Global Commitment for Violence Prevention (pdf)
Published by the World Health Organization, this policy paper sets out the conceptual framework, structure and goals that guide the Violence Prevention Alliance, of which CDC is a member. The paper is divided into two sections: Introducing the Violence Prevention Alliance, and Preventing violence before it occurs. The first section presents the basics of the Alliance, including the reasons behind its creation, the contribution of the health sector, and its scope, goals and working methods. The second section describes the global magnitude of interpersonal violence, discusses its known causes, risk factors and consequences, and presents theoretical tools to organize our understanding of interpersonal violence.
Virginia's Guidelines for the Primary Prevention of SV/IPV (pdf)
This document provides guidelines to assist Virginia sexual and domestic violence agencies(and possibly other community organizations) in developing effective SV/IPV primary prevention initiatives. The guidelines and support materials contained are based on a combination of research and experience from people who do SV/IPV primary prevention work on a daily basis.
This page links you to scripts, slides, and handouts from a web conference that, "featuring one of the nation's leading experts on violence against women and one of its top pollsters -- explored the latest research into men's views on domestic violence and sexual assault. Do men think this violence is common? Do they worry about the safety of women they know? What exactly are they willing to do to help stop violence? What messages resonate most with men? How can advocates engage men more effectively in prevention? In addition to reviewing the results of a new poll, experts discussed effective strategies for engaging men."
Where Men Stand: Men’s roles in ending violence against women (pdf)
The report describes how many men use violence against women, what men think about violence against women, and what role men can and do play in reducing and preventing this violence.
Witnessing Domestic Violence: The Effect on Children
The author discusses the conequences of child exposure to domestic violence across various ages, as well as prevention and screening techniques. Community advocacy is emphasized.
Women's Human Rights: A Fact Sheet (pdf)
This factsheet outlines women's human rights violations and the obligation states have to protect those rights.
The consultation brought together approximately 65 participants from East and Southeast Asia and the Pacific and focused three objectives:
-Explore the concepts of masculinities, gender relations, and gender-based violence (GBV) – and how they are connected.
-Share promising practices and lessons learned in the region on the engagement of boys and men in gender equality and GBV prevention.
-Explore next steps to for collaboration across the region to engage boys and men in work towards gender equality and GBV prevention.
The consultation brought together participants from across South Asia and focused on three key objectives:
1. Deepen our understanding of gender, masculinities and gender-based violence in the South Asian context
2. Discuss an approach and process for working together regionally to engage boys and men in work towards gender equality and prevention of Gender-based Violence (GBV)
3. Reach agreement on next steps, roles and responsibilities for working together regionally.
Working with Children Towards a Healthy & Non-Violent Future
"This Special Collection provides a unique perspective on working with children (younger than 13 years of age), focusing on theories and strategies for raising respectful, non-violent people. Resources included here discuss child development and how to utilize this knowledge when implementing primary prevention strategies that foster healthy attitudes and behaviors"
Working with Men to Prevent Violence Against Women: Program Modalities and Formats (Part Two)
This VAWnet document discusses best practices in prevention, provides an overview of different program modalities and formats, and reviews pedagogies that can be used in working with men to prevent violence against women.
Working with Young Men Who Batter: Current Strategies and New Directions
This article offers an overview of the recent juvenile batterer intervention programs. It identifies risk factors for teen dating violence perpetration as described by the literature and considers the utility of these findings, describes efforts to prevent re-offenses by juvenile perpetrators of domestic violence, discusses several shortcomings inherent in post-crisis intervention, and outlines current challenges within the field.
World Report on Violence against Children
"This book addresses all violence against children within the family, schools, alternative care institutions and detention facilities, places where children work and communities. It lists the relevant international and national legal instruments and standards. It also describes the nature and impact of all forms of violence, indicating possible risk and causal factors. Finally, and most important, based on existing evidence and concrete examples, it provides detailed recommendation on measures to be taken to enhance the protection of children from violence."
Yaari Dosti: Young Men Redefine Masculinity (pdf)
"This training manual is a tool for those aiming to promote gender equity and address masculinity as a strategy for the prevention of HIV infection. The Manual is based on operations research that was undertaken in Mumbai and Uttar Pradesh to develop educational activities targeted to young men."
Program evaluations
(Un)heard Voices: Domestic Violence in the Asian American Community (pdf)
This publication is based on the results of a focus group with Asian immigrant women and Asian American women from different backgrounds. Various questions and issues are addressed such as identifying victims and perpetrators, prevalence of domestic violence in Asian communities, barriers confronting Asian women and more. The report also gives recommendations to service providers and a national list of organizations committed to serving battered Asian women.
"Whether or not to file domestic violence cases when the victim does not support prosecution is a difficult decision. Previous research provides contradictory evidence regarding the effects on victim safety, empowerment, and official measures of recidivism of prosecuting despite victim opposition. This study compared a jurisdiction that tends not to file cases if the victim opposes prosecution (the Bronx), with a jurisdiction that files all domestic violence cases (Brooklyn).
A March 2000 report intended to be more than a five-year review of progress since the Beijing Conference. It is intended as a resource document, a reference tool that will help serve as a guide through the maze of government agencies and programs, both general programs and women-specific ones, that benefit women.
The third website installment profiles 13 communities that have undertaken efforts to reduce and prevent violence against women. The communities have developed a coordinated criminal justice response while maintaining a focus on victim safety and offender accountability.
Batterer Intervention Program Enrollment and Completion Among Immigrant Men in Massachusetts (pdf)
"This study describes immigrant clients enrolled in Massachusetts batterer intervention (BI) programs from 2002 to 2004. The study seeks to describe the immigrant men enrolled in Massachusetts BI programs, investigate whether immigrants were more or less likely to complete BI programs than were nonimmigrants, and investigate whether immigrants in non-English, culturally specific groups were more or less likely to complete BI programs than were immigrants in mainstream groups."
Beyond Observation: Considerations for Advancing Domestic Violence Practice in Supervised Visitation (pdf)
"This paper presents considerations for expanded practice in the Supervised Visitation Grant Program and describes interventions that go beyond observation in the supervised visitation setting."
California Batterer Intervention Systems Study
This study on batterer intervention programs in the state of California encompasses 5 counties, 53 batterer intervention programs that provide client data, and over 1,000 men enrolled in those programs. The study found that the individual characteristics of the offenders, and not the program they were enrolled in nor the features of the specific court they were sentenced in, were the strongest predictors of outcomes.
This article explains the importance of coordingating system change activities in child welfare agencies with many collaborative activities."
Collaborating for Family Safety: Results From the Greenbook Multisite Evaluation
"This special issue of the Journal of Interpersonal Violence features results from a multisite developmental evaluation of best practices at the intersection of child maltreatment and adult domestic violence."
This article explains the importance of collaborative efforts to responding to families experiencing domestic violence and child maltreatment. The Greenbook Initiative provided a framework for developing a multisystem collaborative approach to working with families.
Community Corrections Response To Domestic Violence: Guidelines For Practice (pdf)
"This document provides a series of guidelines for community corrections professionals that support a proactive community supervision approach for domestic violence cases. It pulls together in one place for community corrections professionals and allied justice system and community-based services the conceptual information and practical tools to develop or enhance effective programs."
Crafting the Greenbook: Framers Reflect on the Vision, Process, and Lessons Learned
"As part of the evaluation of the Greenbook initiative, the evaluation team asked the national experts who helped frame the Greenbook to reflect on the processes used and the decisions that shaped the document. In addition, the experts were asked to describe their expectations for the systems and communities that implemented the recommendations, including anticipated challenges."
Culture Handbook (pdf)
"This handbook is designed to be used by advocates and professionals who work with those who are victims of domestic and sexual violence. It provides some basic information on how to understand culture and begin the process of challenging oneself to become more aware of the ways in which culture impacts our work and the lives of those who are victims."
Danger Zone: Battered Mothers and Their Families in Supervised Visitation (pdf)
"This paper outlines research conducted at a supervised visitation center specifically for serving families where domestic violence was the primary reason for referral. The authors have classified their experiences based on these main subjects: battered women in supervised visitation, how battering continues during supervised visitation, how the rules of the supervised visitation center evolved during the first 18 months of implementation, the importance of well-trained visit monitors, and the need to include supervised visitation centers within a larger context of coordinated community responses to domestic violence."
Domestic Violence and Children: Creating a Public Response (pdf)
The authors of this paper address children's exposure to domestic violence as a factor in healthy development. Research findings suggest that children who witness domestic violence are often unnoticed and underserved by other agencies in the community. Principles serving as a guiding framework for policy and service are outlined, as well as recommendations for communities and governmental bodies to help children experiencing domestic violence.
Domestic Violence Counts 2008: A 24-hour census of domestic violence shelters and services
This report is the most recent data documenting the number of individuals who seek services in a 24 hour period, the types of services requested, the number of service requests that went unmet because of lack of resources, and the issues and barriers that domestic violence programs are facing as they strive tirelessly to provide services to victims of domestic violence. Also contains a state by state report on services requested and provided.
Domestic Violence Counts 2009: A 24-Hour Census of Domestic Violence Shelters and Services
"A one-day report, documenting the number of adults and children seeking domestic violence services in the U.S., the types of services requested, the number of service requests that went unmet because of lack of resources, and the issues and barriers that domestic violence programs are facing as they strive to provide services to victims of domestic violence. Also provides a state by state summary of services requested and provided. "
Domestic Violence Counts 2010: A 24-hour census of domestic violence shelters and services (pdf)
For the fifth consecutive year, NNEDV conducted the one-day, unduplicated count of adults and children seeking domestic violence services in the U.S., documenting the number of individuals who sought services, the types of services requested, the number of service requests that went unmet because of lack of resources, and the issues and barriers that domestic violence programs are facing as they strive to provide services to victims of domestic violence. The results are published in this report.
This 133 page publication addresses a number of issues relevant to family violence within the home and the community and specifically focuses on interventions. It is intended to offer communities a guiding framework to develop interventions and measure progress as they seek to improve their responses to families experiencing domestic violence and child maltreatment.
Emerging Responses to Children Exposed to Domestic Violence
"This document reviews the new research, policies, and programs focused on children who have witnessed adult domestic violence. It argues that the diversity of children’s experiences requires equally diverse responses from those who serve them."
Ending Violence Against Women: Programming for Prevention, Protection and Care (pdf)
"This handbook, intended primarily for development practitioners, provides practical points to consider when designing and implementing projects addressing violence against women. It is a collection of good practices drawn from ten case studies."
Evaluating Domestic Violence Programs
This quality assessment tool for the evaluation of hospital-based domestic violence programs was developed by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) and cosponsored by the Family Violence Prevention Fund to improve the health care response to victims of domestic violence.
"This manual is designed to help violence prevention organizations hire an empowerment evaluator who will assist them in building their evaluation capacity through a learn-by-doing process of evaluating their own strategies. It is for state and local leaders and staff members of organizations, coalitions, government agencies, and/or partnerships working to prevent sexual violence, intimate partner violence, youth violence, suicide, and/or child maltreatment."
Family Violence- A National Legal Response Final Report (pdf)
This full Report by the Australian Law Reform Commission (ALRC) and the New South Wales Law
Reform Commission (the Commissions) sets out in detail the issues raised by the Terms of Reference, and the research and evidence base upon which the Commissions’ recommendations were formulated, including a thorough discussion of stakeholder views and the Commissions’ conclusions.
For an accessible overview of the policy framework and recommendations outlined in this two-volume final report, see Family Violence- A National Legal Response Summary Report.
Family Violence- A National Legal Response Summary Report (pdf)
This 76-page Summary Report provides an accessible overview of the policy framework and recommendations in the two-volume Final Report, Family Violence - A National Legal Response. It offers a consideration of the framework for the reform, including a description of the development of the key principles underpinning the 187 final recommendations. The recommendations are then considered as an expression of two principal themes—improving legal frameworks and improving practice, concluding with a summary of the net effect of the recommendations.
This report exposes the difficulties domestic violence survivor-defendants have in receiving fair sentencing when they are prosecuted for crimes related to their abuse. Using an international human rights framework, the report obliges the U.S. government to “prevent, investigate, and punish violence against women.”
This report intends to improve international and local capacities when addressing gender-based violence in refugee, internally-displaced and conflict settings.
Guiding Principles for Safe Havens: Supervised Visitation and Safe Exchange Grant Program (pdf)
"This document was designed to guide the development and administration of Supervised Visitation Program centers with an eye toward addressing the needs of child(ren) and adult victims of domestic violence in visitation and exchange settings. The Guiding Principles look beyond the visitation setting to address how communities funded under the Supervised Visitation Program should address domestic violence in the larger community."
"In this paper, the author will examine both the effectiveness of feminist therapy and its limitations when counseling immigrant and racially visible women who have been abused. The author will also describe the reality of domestic violence among these women and how their needs differ from women in the dominant culture. Strategies for a more inclusive form of feminist therapy will also be offered as alternatives to existing modes of practice and assessment."
Helping Culturally Diverse Victims of Interpersonal Violence: Avoiding Stereotypes & Meetings Needs
"This forum discusses the need to take people's culture into account when providing them with services for interpersonal violence and avoiding the trap of treating people in a cookie-cutter way, based on stereotypes about their culture. This forum is hosted by Lisa Aronson Fontes, PhD. Lisa is a Core Faculty Member in Union Institute & University's Psy.D. Program in Clinical Psychology and has dedicated almost 20 years to making the social service and mental health systems more responsive to culturally diverse people."
How are DV offenders held accountable in Knoxville and Knox County justice system interventions? (pdf)
In August 2009, at the request of The Knoxville Family Justice Center, a Domestic Violence Safety and Accountability Audit was carried out to explore how domestic violence offenders are held accountable in the Knoxville/Knox County justice system. This is a report of those findings. The audit team hopes other will use it as a training tool and a catalyst for dialogue and examination within their communities.
This paper is a first-hand account of Missouri’s project to reduce rules in domestic violence shelters.
Implementing Intimate Partner Violence Screening in Family Planning Centers
This article describes the process of implementing and revising intimate partner violence screening in three large, urban family planning centers over a decade. Monitoring, research, and improvements to the process over the past decade are discussed along with future directions for research and practice.
Integrating gender into HIV/AIDS programmes in the health sector (pdf)
"This tool helps programme managers and health-care providers in the public and private sectors integrate gender into HIV/AIDS programmes they wish to set up, implement and evaluate so they are more responsive to women's needs."
Lessons Learned From the Domestic Violence Community
"Effective Interventions in Domestic Violence and Child Maltreatment Cases: Guidelines for Policy and Practice, known as the Greenbook, was published in 1999 by the Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges in collaboration with other experts. It provides guidelines for child welfare, domestic violence service providers and family courts to work together more effectively to serve families experiencing violence, and served as the foundation for the work of the Greenbook demonstration communities. The new video clips present interviews with domestic violence advocates in the Greenbook demonstration sites about lessons learned in their communities over the six years of the initiative."
This study of the services and supports provided by domestic violence programs in four states was designed to help fill a gap in current knowledge about the range of services provided, and the needs and experience of survivors. The study results show that domestic violence programs address compelling needs that survivors cannot meet elsewhere.
An executive summary can be found here
Meeting Survivors' Needs: A Multi-State Study of Domestic Violence Shelter Experiences
This study provides important insights into the role that shelters play in survivors' efforts to escape violence and abuse. Results capture the voices and experiences of over 3,400 shelter residents in 215 programs across eight states. The website includes links to the press statement announcing the study's release, the Research in Brief, the Executive Summary, and the full report.
Mobilizing Communities to Prevent Domestic Violence
"This Applied Research document provides an overview of the research on community mobilization to prevent domestic violence, explores guiding concepts and frameworks, and discusses the challenges of implementing community mobilization strategies."
Model Protocol on Screening Practices for Domestic Violence Victims with Disabilities (pdf)
The goal of this protocol is to support domestic violence agencies in the State of Washington in examining and revising their intake and screening process to include questions about disability issues. Inquiring if a victim has a disability that requires accommodation gives the program information that enables them to provide appropriate accessible services.
Ohio Elder Abuse Task Force Report (pdf)
This report consists of recommendations, issues for future consideration, and implementation strategies for the prevention of elder abuse as a result of research done by the Ohio Elder Abuse Task Force.
Open Minds Open Doors: Transforming Domestic Violence Programs to Include LGBTQ Survivors (pdf)
This guide outlines the process that The Network and La Red suggest for making domestic violence programs more LGBTQ-inclusive. Each of the chapters focuses on one aspect of that process in detail, offering ideas for implementation.
Large file; may take a few minutes to download
Practical Implications of Current Domestic Violence Research, Part I: Law Enforcement
"The first of a 3-part study focuses on what the research tells law enforcement officers about the perpetrators and victims of domestic violence, the outcomes of current law enforcement responses, and what the findings mean for daily law enforcement tasks."
Practical Implications of Current Domestic Violence Research, Part II: Prosecution
"This second part of a 3-part study of the practical implications of domestic violence research for criminal justice personnel focuses on prosecutors' policies and procedures."
Practical Implications of Current Domestic Violence Research, Part III: Judges
"This third part of a three-part study of the practical implications of domestic violence research for criminal justice personnel focuses on judges' policies and practices."
Predictors of Program Outcome and Recidivism at the Bronx Misdemeanor Domestic Violence Court (pdf)
In this study, the authors examine cases in the Bronx for possible correlates of program mandate non-completion and recidivism. A literature review of domestic violence prevention and intervention programs is presented followed by the research study and outcomes.
Promising Practices with Men Who Batter (pdf)
In this report to the King County Domestic Violence Council, the author provides a literature review of promising practices with men who batter, ranging from historical to current approaches. Key research findings on batterer intervention programs(BIP) are provided, including current concerns with BIPs. Finally, current gaps in services are identified and recommendations are given.
Providing Services to Immigrant Women in Atlantic Canada (pdf)
"This article describes some of the findings of research conducted in 2005 and 2006, which found that being an immigrant was a factor not only in immigrant women’s experiences of violence in Atlantic Canada, but also in their access to support services. Immigrant women and the professionals who provide services to them describe some of the barriers they face and conclude that fully funded and coordinated prevention and intervention programs and services to immigrant women are needed in Atlantic Canada."
Rape Prevention and Risk Reduction: Review of the Research Literature for Practitioners
"This Applied Research paper examines both single- and mixed-gender rape prevention and risk reduction programs, and provides suggestions for practitioners to design, implement, and evaluate programs."
Reflections from the Field: Considerations for Domestic Violence Specialists (pdf)
"Domestic violence and child protection professionals from multiple states came together to discuss the complexity of systems-change work and the continued need for a social justice framework to guide these efforts. This document is a compilation of their stories and insights as people who have worked as or supported domestic violence specialists dedicated to helping families experiencing the co-occurrence of domestic violence and child maltreatment."
Report Cards on Teen Dating Violence 2008 (pdf)
Break the Cycle issued the first-ever state-by-state report cards evaluating the level of legal protection each state offers young victims of domestic and dating violence. The report was issued in conjunction with National Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Week, February 4-8, 2008.
Spouse Assault Replication Program: Studies of Effects of Arrest on Domestic Violence
"Reviews NIJ studies on arrest policies for misdemeanor domestic assault, an attempt to replicate the Minneapolis Domestic Violence Experiment (1984), which found that arrest was almost twice as effective as other police actions in preventing re-arrest."
CDC has launched several prevention initiatives aimed at encouraging and promoting positive parent-child interactions. These initiatives are summarized in Using Evidence-Based Parenting Programs to Advance CDC Efforts in Child Maltreatment Prevention—Research Brief 2004. The initiatives result from extensive strategic planning and consultation with child maltreatment prevention experts and promote positive parenting skills. By acquiring such skills, parents and caregivers can better manage children’s behavior and prevent violence before it occurs.
Violence Against Women and Girls: A Compendium of Monitoring and Evaluation Indicators (pdf)
"This compendium offers a set of monitoring and evaluation indicators for program managers, organizations, and policy makers working to address violence against women and girls at individual, community, district and national levels in developing countries."
This report provides information regarding the General Assembly of the United Nations' adoption of a resolution entitled "In-depth study on all forms of violence against women." The resolution requires the Secretary-General to conduct an in-depth study on all forms and manifestations of violence against women. This report offers background information on data collection, a summary of the discussion and objectives of the expert group meeting, and recommendations for collecting data on violence against women, improving population-based surveys and enhancing service-based data.
Violence Against Women: Classic Papers
The purpose of this project was to assemble some of the classic works in the field of violence against women so that new generations of students, practitioners, and researchers would have a collective understanding of the work that has shaped the field. Included are commentaries from the original authors, when available, reflecting on why they authored the work when they did and the influence of their work on the field.
Violence in the EU Examined (pdf)
"A report published by the University of Ljubljana in Slovenia on good practices and general recommendations for domestic violence initiatives in the Czech Republic, Cyprus, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia. The project includes findings on sexual harassment, female genital mutilation, honor crimes, exploitation, trafficking, and other issues affecting women and children. A summary of the report’s general recommendations is also available."
What Makes a Domestic Violence Court Work? Lessons from New York (pdf)
This document presents the New York State Model as an example of promoting victim safety and defendant accountability in cases involving domestic violence. The article concludes that although domestic violence courts can play an important role in increasing accountability for defendants and safety for victims, broader systems change is needed.
Religion
Bibliography of Sexual and Domestic Violence in the Jewish Community (pdf)
"In addition to providing a list of organizations working on this issue, this bibliography lists the following types of resources: Periodicals; Books; Journal Articles; Newspaper Articles; Newsletter Articles; and Directories."
Creating a Safe Place: Family Peacemaking Materials for Clergy, Lay Leaders, Staff & Laity
Family peacemaking materials for clergy, lay leaders, staff and laity. This manual has four parts with separate purposes and components that are interdependent. While the focus of these materials is Christian, it is hoped that other faith communities can modify the materials to reflect their particular faiths.
Domestic Violence and Communities of Faith: An Information Packet (pdf)
This document provides a brief overview of how to recognize domestic violence in faith communities (mostly Christian), suggestions for intervention and resource guide.
Domestic Violence and Faith Based Communities: Focus on African American Communities
"We know that domestic violence crosses all racial lines and that the root causes are sexism and the acceptance of violence against women in society. However, the dynamics of and contributors to domestic violence are culturally specific. This forum highlights some of the common, complex and culturally specific contributors to violence against African American women. It addresses the role of faith as a resource and a roadblock and offer concrete ways in which faith communities can respond to and support abused women and their children in the African American Community. Hosted by: Aleese Moore-Orbih"
Honor Killings: An Islamic Perspective
Discussion of honor killings how the prevailing view that devalues and belittles women is derived from sociocultural factors that are justified by a distorted and erroneous interpretation of religion, especially of Islam.
Human Rights Dialogue: Violence Against Women (pdf)
This special edition of the magazine explores how women's advocates are challenging the public/private divide, the cultural and religious objections to granting women's rights, and the common blindness to linkages between violence against women and the deprivation of other rights, specifically economic and social rights.
Intimate Partner Violence Surveillance: Uniform Definitions and Recommended Data Elements (pdf)
This 114 page PDF file describes the need to improve the quality of available data about violence against women. The National Center for Injury Prevention and Control of the Center for Disease Control narrowed the scope to concentrate developing data elements for surveillance of intimate partner violence.
Jewish Perspectives in Domestic Violence (word)
"In this paper, the author proposes different ideas relevant to Judaism in regard to domestic violence, offers Jewish precepts and texts, raises current problems for Jewish battered women, describes Jewish programs working to eliminate domestic violence, makes known Jews in the movement/field, cites Jewish Domestic Violence cases, and concludes with Creating Rituals and Blessings."
Mobilizing Religious Communities to Respond to Gender-based Violence and HIV: A Training Manual (pdf)
The first in a series of two manuals aimed at raising awareness and educating religious leaders and communities about gender-based violence. The training manual equips religious communities with tools to deepen their awareness and understanding of gender-based violence and its link to HIV and proposes faith-based activities on the subject.
This document presents a general overview of discourses on culture, religion, and tradition that are used to justify violence against women and looks at cases in various countries, as well as methods to counter such arguments. The paper also provides recommendations for activists, scholars, and policy makers.
Preventing and Responding to Domestic & Sexual Violence in Later Life
"This special collection brings together selected materials related to preventing and responding to elder abuse, specifically domestic and sexual violence. It highlights the complexities of older people's DV/SV experiences and emphasizes collaborative and multi-pronged approaches to addressing DV/SV in later life."
Report on the Taliban's War Against Women
Released November 17, 2001. Includes an Executive Summary, information on the Taliban's War Against Women; quotes by and about women in Afghanistan; and electronic resources on women in Afghanistan.
What Every Congregation Needs to Know About Domestic Violence
This online brochure about domestic violence is designed to provide information to clergy, members of congregations, battered women's programs, and human service providers.
Reporting
2010 National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (NISVS) (pdf)
The National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey is an ongoing, nationally representative survey that assesses experiences of sexual violence, stalking, and intimate partner violence among adult women and men in the United States and for each individual state. It measures lifetime victimization for these types of violence as well as victimization in the 12 months prior to taking the survey.
"Whether or not to file domestic violence cases when the victim does not support prosecution is a difficult decision. Previous research provides contradictory evidence regarding the effects on victim safety, empowerment, and official measures of recidivism of prosecuting despite victim opposition. This study compared a jurisdiction that tends not to file cases if the victim opposes prosecution (the Bronx), with a jurisdiction that files all domestic violence cases (Brooklyn).
"This preliminary experiment tests whether African American and European American abused women who give testimony about their experiences of intimate partner violence and learn how to use yogic breathing techniques have reduced feelings of depression. Results indicate that learning yogic breathing techniques alone and combined with giving testimony significantly reduces feelings of depression. "
Bringing the Greenbook to Life: a Resource Guide for Communities (pdf)
"This guide is designed for communities seeking to develop interventions that will improve their responses to families suffering both domestic violence and child maltreatment."
This article explains the importance of coordingating system change activities in child welfare agencies with many collaborative activities."
Distracted by Drama: How California Newspapers Portray Intimate Partner Violence (pdf)
"The publication describes the results of a study analyzing how violence is reported in two nationally prominent CA newspapers during the course of a year. Findings of the study are described in detail to reveal how contemporary reporting portrays IPV."
Family violence risk assessment: review of international research (pdf)
This literature review presents an overview of the international research and best practice literature on family violence risk assessment from over the last decade. It was undertaken for the New Zealand Police to inform any changes they may wish to make to their own family violence risk assessment processes. For that reason it has an emphasis on the literature as it relates to Police organizations, rather than other sectors such as healthcare providers who also have a role in family violence risk assessment.
Overviews from frequently asked violence against elderly persons.
Hate Violence against Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender People in the United States (pdf)
This is a report about bias-motivated incidents targeting lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans-gender, queer, and questioning (LGBT) individuals in the U.S. during the year 2008. The report includes statistics on violence against LGBT people, stories from survivors, information on where to get help, safety tips, and information on hate crime laws.
A new report from the National Coalition for the Homeless (NCH) contains case descriptions of each attack that includes sexual assault. The report notes that because crimes committed against homeless persons often go unreported, the actual numbers of non-lethal attacks is likely much higher. Rapes and sexual assaults also tend to go unreported. The report recommends that state legislatures add homeless persons as a “protected class” to hate crime legislation, and encourages police trainings so law enforcement officers will better understand homelessness and how to prevent hate crimes.
Immigrant Populations as Victims: Toward a Multicultural Criminal Justice System (pdf)
"This report summarizes findings from a study about the criminal justice system's approach to immigrant victims of crime and barriers that prohibit immigrants from reporting crimes."
Leave or Stay?: Battered Women's Decision After Intimate Partner Violence
"Using data from the Domestic Violence Experience in Omaha, Nebraska, a discrete-time hazard model was employed to examine a woman's decision to leave or stay based on four factors: financial independence, witness of parental violence, psychological factors, and the police response to the domestic violence call."
Mandatory Reporting of Child Abuse and Neglect: State Statutes and Professional Ethics (pdf)
A comprehensive listing of state statutes on mandatory reporting of child abuse and neglect. Also included is a listing of reporting requirements and code of ethics for professionals in various fields.
Multi-Agency Practice Guidelines: Handling Cases of Forced Marriage (pdf)
"This report lists warning signs and appropriate actions for teachers and other school employees to take when they suspect a forced marriage of a child is imminent. The report also contains guidelines for police officers, health care professionals, and social workers, and provides general information on good practices when caring for victims of forced marriage."
The Validity and Use of Evidence Concerning Battering and Its Effects in Criminal Trials (pdf)
"This report is actually three reports in one: Validity of 'Battered Woman Syndrome' in Criminal Cases; Trends in Expert Testimony on Battering; & Impact of Evidence Concerning Battering and its Effects in Criminal Trials Involving Battered Women."
Research
"This report provides an analysis of patterns of human rights abuses against women who are exposed to the risk of or are already living with HIV in rural contexts of widespread poverty and unemployment."
(Un)heard Voices: Domestic Violence in the Asian American Community (pdf)
This publication is based on the results of a focus group with Asian immigrant women and Asian American women from different backgrounds. Various questions and issues are addressed such as identifying victims and perpetrators, prevalence of domestic violence in Asian communities, barriers confronting Asian women and more. The report also gives recommendations to service providers and a national list of organizations committed to serving battered Asian women.
15 Years of the United Nations Rapporteur on Violence against Women, Its Causes and Consequences (pdf)
This report reviews the status of violence against women as researched in 14 annual reports, 32 country mission reports, and 11 communication reports published as recently as December 2008. The report focuses on reproductive health and rights, poverty, migration, internally displaced persons (IDPs), women refugees, trafficking, aging, and adolescent girls. It also highlights how the mandate on violence against women has changed, what has been learned, and problems still to be addressed.
2010 National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (NISVS) (pdf)
The National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey is an ongoing, nationally representative survey that assesses experiences of sexual violence, stalking, and intimate partner violence among adult women and men in the United States and for each individual state. It measures lifetime victimization for these types of violence as well as victimization in the 12 months prior to taking the survey.
"Whether or not to file domestic violence cases when the victim does not support prosecution is a difficult decision. Previous research provides contradictory evidence regarding the effects on victim safety, empowerment, and official measures of recidivism of prosecuting despite victim opposition. This study compared a jurisdiction that tends not to file cases if the victim opposes prosecution (the Bronx), with a jurisdiction that files all domestic violence cases (Brooklyn).
A Development Approach to Working with Teen Victims (pdf)
This issue brief discusses the need for service providers to understand adolescent development in order to effectively provide interventions for teen victims of abuse.
"This preliminary experiment tests whether African American and European American abused women who give testimony about their experiences of intimate partner violence and learn how to use yogic breathing techniques have reduced feelings of depression. Results indicate that learning yogic breathing techniques alone and combined with giving testimony significantly reduces feelings of depression. "
A Response to the Abuse of Vulnerable Adults (pdf)
This report document is the result of a 2000 survey of state adult protective services.
Achieving Equity for Women: Policy Alternatives for the New Administration Symposium Report (pdf)
"This report summarizes the policy research symposium convened by the Institute for Women’s Policy Research and the Wellesley Centers for Women, held in Washington, DC on April 2, 2009. The symposium highlighted four policy areas in which public policy can work to improve the status of women in the United States: women and economic recovery; retirement, social security and aging; quality early care and education; and women and health care reform."
Addressing Gender-based Violence: UNFPA Strategy and Framework for Action (pdf)
This report, grounded in UNFPA's overarching goal of eliminating violence against women and girls, identifies particular areas where action is most urgently needed and proposes general policy frameworks for combating gender-based violence.
Advancing the Nation's Health: A Guide to Public Health Research Needs, 2006-2015 (pdf)
"This guide is meant to serve as a critical resource for research areas that should be addressed during the next decade by CDC and its partners in response to current and future public health needs and events."
"This report indicates that persons who report having experienced IPV during their lifetimes also are more likely to report current adverse health conditions and health risk behaviors, underscoring the need for IPV assessment in health-care settings."
AIDS Accountability Scorecard on Women 2009 (pdf)
"The first ever global scorecard analyzing country responses to the specific needs and vulnerabilities of women in the context of the AIDS epidemic. This independent assessment, developed through a comprehensive consultative process with global health experts and civil society representatives from across the world, evaluates data that all governments provide as part of the 2001 United Nations Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS."
American Indians and Crime (pdf)
"Reports rates and characteristics of violent crimes experienced by Native Americans and summarizes data on Native Americans in the criminal justice system."
Baseline Survey on Sexual and Gender Based Violence in Rwanda (pdf)
"This study was conducted to shed light on the magnitude of sexual and gender-based violence in Rwanda, and to determine and analyze the perceptions that communities have about the nature, causes and consequences of incidents of violence. This study also explores the subsequent actions that survivors have taken, and evaluates the role of various stakeholders in preventing and fighting sexual and gender-based violence."
Battered Women's Reports of Their Partner's and Children's Cruelty to Animals (pdf)
"This research study describes how abuse of pets is a method employed by batterers to control their partners, contributes to the impact on children exposed to violence, and may also be related to batterers' lethality."
Battered Women’s Protective Strategies
"This Applied Research paper adopts a holistic approach to understand battered women’s protective strategies, reviewing a wide range of strategies used by women to cope with numerous threats posed by battering, not just the threat of bodily harm."
Batterer Intervention Program Enrollment and Completion Among Immigrant Men in Massachusetts (pdf)
"This study describes immigrant clients enrolled in Massachusetts batterer intervention (BI) programs from 2002 to 2004. The study seeks to describe the immigrant men enrolled in Massachusetts BI programs, investigate whether immigrants were more or less likely to complete BI programs than were nonimmigrants, and investigate whether immigrants in non-English, culturally specific groups were more or less likely to complete BI programs than were immigrants in mainstream groups."
A paper on the impact of physical, sexual, and psychological abuse, and exposure to family violence on the sexual, reproductive, and parenting behaviors of young men.
Bringing Domestic Violence Best Practices to New York’s Town and Village Courts (pdf)
The purpose of this document is to gain a deeper understanding of the domestic violence policies and practices implemented in New York’s rural town and village courts and to measure the impact of trainings on these practices.
Broken Trust: Elders, Family & Finances (pdf)
"This is a report of a collaborative study of elder financial abuse. The study examines the prevalence as well as characteristics of victims and perpetrators of financial elder abuse and offers suggestions for identifying and addressing this problem. "
Building Academic Capacity and Expertise in the HEALTH EFFECTS OF VIOLENCE AND ABUSE (pdf)
This report was created from the Proceedings from a Pre-Conference Symposium at the Family Violence Prevention Fund which offers a blueprint on advancing professional health education from a perspective on the health effects on violence and abuse.
California Batterer Intervention Systems Study
This study on batterer intervention programs in the state of California encompasses 5 counties, 53 batterer intervention programs that provide client data, and over 1,000 men enrolled in those programs. The study found that the individual characteristics of the offenders, and not the program they were enrolled in nor the features of the specific court they were sentenced in, were the strongest predictors of outcomes.
Child Abuse and Neglect Fatalities: Statistics and Interventions (pdf)
"This 2008 brief report presents statistical information on maltreatment-related fatalities of children including who are the victims and perpetrators and how communities often respond. "
Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention : Reports from the Field and Ideas for the Future (pdf)
"This report summarizes findings from a PPN project conducted for the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation's Child Abuse Prevention Program. The project sought to assess the current state of the child abuse and neglect prevention field as well as identify potential future directions for the field in terms of emerging priorities and prevention strategies."
"Describes major legal and social trends surrounding custody and visitation decisions and the social science evidence supporting the need to consider domestic violence. Recommendations for custody and visitation decisions are explored."
Child Maltreatment 2006 Report (pdf)
"The latest Child Maltreatment annual report reports statistical data from the states on reports of maltreatment, characteristics of the children involved and their perpetrators, fatalities tied to maltreatment, and services provided to prevent maltreatment or to address the consequences of maltreatment."
Child Protection Information Sheets (pdf)
"This booklet comprises 14 information sheets which highlight how child protection is crucial to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals. Covering different forms of abuse, these sheets also outline how to build a protective environment for children and what UNICEF is doing on the ground to protect children."
Child Witnesses to Domestic Violence: A Meta-Analytic Review (pdf)
This study compared children exposed to domestic violence to children not so exposed. The results showed that child witnesses to domestic violence exhibit more negative outcomes.
"Abuse studies from the author’s laboratory, studies of children in orphanages who lacked emotional contact, and a large number of animal deprivation and enrichment studies point to the need for children and young nonhuman mammals to have both stable emotional attachments with and touch from primary adult caregivers, and spontaneous interactions with peers. If these connections are lacking, brain development both of caring behavior and cognitive capacities is damaged in a lasting fashion. The effects of the childhood environment, favorable or unfavorable, interact with all the processes of neurodevelopment."
Children’s Exposure to Violence: A Comprehensive National Survey (pdf)
"This Bulletin discusses the National Survey of Children’s Exposure to Violence that measured the past-year and lifetime exposure to violence for children age 17 and younger across several major categories: conventional crime, child maltreatment, victimization by peers and siblings, sexual victimization, witnessing and indirect victimization (including exposure to community violence and family violence), school violence and threats, and Internet victimization."
Collaborating for Family Safety: Results From the Greenbook Multisite Evaluation
"This special issue of the Journal of Interpersonal Violence features results from a multisite developmental evaluation of best practices at the intersection of child maltreatment and adult domestic violence."
This article explains the importance of collaborative efforts to responding to families experiencing domestic violence and child maltreatment. The Greenbook Initiative provided a framework for developing a multisystem collaborative approach to working with families.
"Using data on 4,401 couples who participated in the National Family Violence Survey, this article reports modeling of cultural norms or other processes that could account for the link between corporal punishment and partner violence. Because corporal punishment of adolescents occurs in over half of U.S. families, the findings suggest that elimination of this practice can reduce some of the psychological and social processes that increase the likelihood of future marital violence and perhaps other violence as well."
Creating Social Change in Cyberspace: 10 Years Strong
Article published by the University of Minnesota Gateway to Reseach & Innovations regarding the success of the Minnesota Center Against Violence and Abuse in providing knowledge to prevent violence.
Crime and the Nation's Households, 2003 (pdf)
"Presents national prevalence estimates for the percentage of households with one or more persons who were victimized by crime as measured by the National Crime Victimization Survey."
Crime and the Nation's Households, 2004 (pdf)
"Presents information on the percentage of households or persons in households who are victimized as measured by the National Crime Victimization Survey. Findings are presented by region; urban, suburban or rural location; and by household size."
Criminal Domestic Violence Case Processing: A Case Study of the Five Boroughs of New York City (pdf)
A study of the five boroughs of New York City in which domestic violence criminal case processing exist. The study seeks to establish what the policies and practices of the domestic violence courts are, to understand their underlying rationale, and to learn what the stakeholders perceive as their strengths and weaknesses.
Criminal Victimization, 2008 (pdf)
"The report includes data on violent crimes (rape/sexual assault, robbery, aggravated assault and simple assault), property crimes (burglary, motor vehicle theft and property theft), and personal theft (pocket picking and purse snatching), and the characteristics of victims of these crimes. The report also includes estimates of intimate partner violent crime and use of firearms and other weapons in the commission of violent crime overall."
This publication provides information about the use of cross-system dialogue to facilitate communication among representatives working in the domestic violence, child welfare, and court system. Strategies for professionals responding to family violence and child maltreatment are also provided.
Danger Zone: Battered Mothers and Their Families in Supervised Visitation (pdf)
"This paper outlines research conducted at a supervised visitation center specifically for serving families where domestic violence was the primary reason for referral. The authors have classified their experiences based on these main subjects: battered women in supervised visitation, how battering continues during supervised visitation, how the rules of the supervised visitation center evolved during the first 18 months of implementation, the importance of well-trained visit monitors, and the need to include supervised visitation centers within a larger context of coordinated community responses to domestic violence."
Date Rape: A Hidden Crime (pdf)
"This Australian report provides an overview of main issues underlying date rape including: incidence, difficulties in measuring extent; complicated issues around sexual consent; impact on victims; and, obstacles and options in prevention and treatment."
Detecting, Addressing and Preventing Elder Abuse in Residential Care Facilities (pdf)
"This study focused on detection, investigation, and resolution of elder abuse and neglect complaints in what are known as residential care facilities."
Developmental Repair: A Training Manual (pdf)
Washburn Center for Children has recently completed a training manual on Developmental Repair – the treatment framework that has been developed and implemented in their Day Treatment Program under the clinical leadership of Anne Gearity PhD, LICSW. It is an intensive treatment model for working with young children who have experienced complex trauma and present with aggressive and disruptive symptoms.
Developmental Status and Early Intervention Service Needs of Maltreated Children (pdf)
"In this report, published by the Institute for Social and Economic Development, the authors analyze findings from the National Early Intervention Longitudinal Study and the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being. They provide information about the developmental status and early intervention service needs of children under age three who are substantiated for maltreatment. Topics include: 1) the extent to which maltreated children have developmental problems or are subject to factors associated with poor developmental outcomes; 2) the services maltreated children might be eligible for and ones they receive through the child welfare systems; 3) case characteristics, such as child welfare setting, that impact the effect of developmental services; and 4) existing barriers to services."
Do Batterer Program Length or Approach Affect Completion or Re-Arrest Rates? (pdf)
This study compared outcomes between defendants sentenced to two batterer programs in Brooklyn, New York. A literature review on batterer programs is presented followed by the research methodology. The findings suggest that neither underlying program philosophy nor program length alone predict either program completion or future violence.
Domestic Violence against Women (pdf)
"This briefing kit in Spanish provides concise information on violence against women (VAW) in Latin America and the Caribbean. It consists of fact sheets in easy-to understand language, and is aimed at parliamentarians to help them advance or amend legislation on VAW."
Domestic Violence Against Women and Girls (pdf)
"UNICEF's report discusses the scope and magnitude of the problem, causes and consequences of domestic violence, the socio-economic costs of violence, strategies and interventions, and state obligations with regard to domestic violence."
Domestic Violence Against Women and Girls
"Highlights issues of abuse; femicide; forced prostitution; sexual abuse of children; sex-selective abortion, female infanticide and differential access to food and medical care; and, traditional and cultural practices that affect women's health and lives."
Domestic Violence Against Women in Albania (pdf)
"This qualitative report examines the prevalence of domestic violence in Albania, including forms of domestic violence and complicating factors."
Domestic Violence and Birth Control Sabotage: A Report from the Teen Parent Project
This study explores to what extent pregnancy among low income teens was due to coerced and unprotected sexual relations, sabotage of birth control arrangements and the general pressure to choose between having children and the continuation of the relationship
Domestic Violence and Children: Creating a Public Response (pdf)
The authors of this paper address children's exposure to domestic violence as a factor in healthy development. Research findings suggest that children who witness domestic violence are often unnoticed and underserved by other agencies in the community. Principles serving as a guiding framework for policy and service are outlined, as well as recommendations for communities and governmental bodies to help children experiencing domestic violence.
Domestic Violence Counts 2008: A 24-hour census of domestic violence shelters and services
This report is the most recent data documenting the number of individuals who seek services in a 24 hour period, the types of services requested, the number of service requests that went unmet because of lack of resources, and the issues and barriers that domestic violence programs are facing as they strive tirelessly to provide services to victims of domestic violence. Also contains a state by state report on services requested and provided.
Domestic Violence Counts 2009: A 24-Hour Census of Domestic Violence Shelters and Services
"A one-day report, documenting the number of adults and children seeking domestic violence services in the U.S., the types of services requested, the number of service requests that went unmet because of lack of resources, and the issues and barriers that domestic violence programs are facing as they strive to provide services to victims of domestic violence. Also provides a state by state summary of services requested and provided. "
Domestic Violence in Filipino Communities (pdf)
A fact sheet on domestic violence in the Filipino communities and includes a selected list of translated materials and resources in the Tagalog and Ilocano languages.
Domestic Violence in Hmong and Laotian Communities (pdf)
A fact sheet on domestic violence in the Hmong and Laotian communities and includes a list of translated materials in their respective languages.
Domestic Violence in Korean Communities (pdf)
A fact sheet on domestic violence in Korean communities and provides a selected list of translated materials and resources in Korean.
Domestic Violence in South Asian Communities (pdf)
A fact sheet with statistics on domestic violence in Bangladeshi, Bhutanese, Indian, Nepali, Pakistani, and Sri Lankan communities. Also includes a selected list of translated materials in Bengali, Gujrati, Hindi, Punjabi, Tamil, and Urdu languages.
Domestic Violence in Vietnamese Communities (pdf)
A fact sheet that provides statistics on domestic violence in Vietnamese communities, a selection of translated materials for victims and service providers, as well as directories for international resources.
Domestic Violence Reading List
"This reading list was compiled by experts in the National Child Traumatic Stress Network. It includes important recent work as well as classic books and articles on domestic violence by Network and other experts in the field."
Domestic Violence, Mental Health & Trauma: Research Highlights (pdf)
"Provides statistical information and findings from several research reports. Statistics are provided on the prevalence of domestic violence and mental health in the U.S., followed by research findings supporting the connection between trauma and mental health."
Dossier on Domestic Violence in Latin America and the Caribbean
"This publication includes a detailed balance of the work developed in Latin American and the Caribbean to eliminate violence against women. The objective of the publication is to have a tool that will help to design future activities in a more accurate way that take into account the economic, cultural and geographical women's reality of the Region in order to eliminate domestic violence. It also contains guidelines and recommendations for the future work on women’s rights for a life free of violence."
Economic Stress and Domestic Violence
This Applied Research paper provides data on domestic violence rates across social classes, highlights the relationship between economic stress and domestic violence, and explores employment, social support networks, and weaknesses in social services. The paper concludes by discussing strategies that may simultaneously address the intersecting problems of financial distress and DV, including universal screening for DV, responses by employers, and collaboration among social service providers.
Economic Violence To Women and Girls: Is It Receiving the Necessary Attention? (pdf)
"This paper seeks to draw attention to the types of economic violence experienced by women, and describes its consequences on health and development. Recommendations for practice, policy, and research are also given."
Effective Intervention in Domestic Violence & Child Maltreatment Cases (Executive Summary)
This is an executive summary of the document "Effective Intervention in Domestic Violence & Child Maltreatment Cases: Guidelines for Policies and Practice." The aim of this document is to offer a more comprehensive set of responses to eliminate or decrease the enormous risks that individual battered mothers, caseworkers, and judges must take on behalf of children.
Eliminating Violence against Children (pdf)
"Jointly produced by UNICEF and the Inter-Parliamentary Union, this handbook describes measures parliamentarians can take to end violence against children: they can legislate, oversee government activities, allocate financial resources and, as leaders in their nations and communities, raise awareness of issues."
Emerging issues in domestic/family violence research
"This paper presents an overview of the key emerging issues in Australian domestic and family violence research in the context of gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and intersex communities; the elderly; those with disabilities; people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds; Indigenous communities; homelessness; the impact on children; and issues around perpetrator programs."
Emerging Responses to Children Exposed to Domestic Violence
"This document reviews the new research, policies, and programs focused on children who have witnessed adult domestic violence. It argues that the diversity of children’s experiences requires equally diverse responses from those who serve them."
"Highlights the 2 most prevalent types of abuse in the lives of women and girls around the world: intimate partner violence and rape. Demonstrates how world-wide gender-based violence is a major public health concern, suggesting strategies to respond."
This report provides the most recent statistics on Washington state domestic violence fatalities; findings and recommendations from the reviewed cases of the past two years; and tips for utilizing the Fatality Review reports to mobilize change in your community.
Exposure to Violence: Psychological and Academic Correlates in Child Witnesses
2001 Report. Inner-city children are frequently exposed to violence; however, there are few data regarding the psychological and academic correlates of such exposure in young children at school entry. This study aims to document exposure to violence in inner-city children aged 7 years; assess their feelings of distress; and evaluate the relationships of exposure to violence with school performance, behavior, and self-esteem.
Extent, Nature, and Consequences of Intimate Partner Violence (pdf)
"Presents findings from the NVAW Survey on the extent, nature, and consequences of IPV in the US. The survey compares victimization rates among women and men, specific racial groups, Hispanics and non-Hispanics, and same-sex and opposite-sex cohabitants. "
Fact Sheet: The Effects of Domestic Violence on Children (pdf)
"Addresses the impact of domestic violence on children and the likelihood that men who abuse their partners will also abuse their children. Lists statistics that reflect the most recent research concerning the effects of domestic violence on children."
Facts & Stats: Domestic Violence in Asian, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Homes (pdf)
"Facts & Stats raises awareness about the experiences of Asian, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander battered women; counters denial about the problem; emphasizes the need for socio-culturally effective prevention and intervention; and serves to guide future research and inform public policy."
Facts About Intimate Partner Strangulation (pdf)
A recent fact sheet created by the Minnesota Coalition for Battered Women as part of a statewide training for law enforcement officers, prosecutors, and advocates titled the Anatomy of Strangulation.
Facts about Violence: U.S. Statistics & Global
"The article lists 45 facts about violence against women in the U.S. and globally along with their sources."
Facts: Intimate Partner Violence for the World Report on Violence and Health
"Describes the global epidemic of IPV in the following categories: The Extent of the Problem; The Consequences of Intimate Partner Violence; What are the Risk Factors for Intimate Partner Violence?; & What Can be Done to Prevent Intimate Partner Violence?"
Family and Intimate Partner Homicide Virginia, 2007 (pdf)
The first report to analyze fatal cases of intimate-partner and family violence in the state of Virginia over a nine-year period. Risk factors, specific populations, and other findings are discussed.
Family Court Statistics: an overview of Family Court Statistics in New Zealand 2004 to 2008
This bulletin analyzes, between 2004 and 2008, the four main areas that come under the jurisdiction of the Family Court in New Zealand, including family violence and child protection.
Family Violence in Canada: A Statistical Profile (pdf)
Provides and examines Canada's violence statistics to provide the most up-to-date data on the nature and extent of family violence in Canada. The report, which is produced annually as a part of the Canadian Government's Family Violence Initiative, monitors trends over time and offers statistics from a variety of sources on domestic violence, as well as child and elder abuse and family homicide.
Family Violence in Canada: A Statistical Profile 2006 (pdf)
Annual report from Canada Center for Justice Statistics on the profile of family violence and its associates.
Family Violence Prevention and Health Practice Winter 2010 Issue
This issue includes topics such as dating violence, recent domestic and sexual violence related research, and the intersection between domestic violence, poverty, substance abuse, and mental health.
Family Violence Risk Assessment and Risk Management Framework (pdf)
Developed by independent experts and Victorian service providers, the framework includes three practical guides on identifying and assessing family violence, and includes case studies.
Family Violence Statistics: Including Statistics on Strangers and Acquaintances
This study compares family and nonfamily violence statistics from victimization through the different stages of the justice system. Family violence is defined as all types of violent crime committed by an offender who is related to the victim and includes spouse abuse, parental violence against a child, and violence among other family members. Nonfamily relationships used for comparison include boyfriends and girlfriends, friends and acquaintances, and strangers. Data are drawn from victimization surveys, official police statistics, State and Federal court statistics, and surveys of inmates in State prisons and local jails.
Final Report on the project entitled: Animal Welfare and Domestic Violence (pdf)
"This study assesses animal maltreatment in samples of women seeking safety at shelters and community samples of women. Women in shelter were much more likely (54%) to report partners' hurting or killing of their pets than women not in shelter (3.5%)."
Fourth National Incidence Study of Child Abuse and Neglect (NIS-4)
"The NIS is a congressionally mandated, periodic research effort to assess the incidence of child abuse and neglect in the United States. The NIS gathers information from multiple sources to estimate the number of children who are abused or neglected, providing information about the nature and severity of the maltreatment, the characteristics of the children, perpetrators, and families, and the extent of changes in the incidence or distribution of child maltreatment since the time of the last national incidence study."
"This study estimated the frequency and correlates of intimate partner violence by type (physical, sexual, battering, or emotional abuse) among women seeking primary health care. Efforts to universally screen for partner violence and to effectively intervene to reduce the impact of such violence on women’s lives must be a public health priority."
General Domestic Violence Statistics Packet: Using Statistics and Evaluating Research (pdf)
"Offers key issues on selecting statistics and questions to ask when reviewing a dataset or research study. Includes an annotated list of various statistics, a chart comparing four national datasets, a bibliography and extensive web site resource list."
Georgia Domestic Violence Fatality Review Report (pdf)
The Report analyzes single-victim homicides and near-deadly assaults, provides strategies for ending domestic violence, and spotlights communities that have successfully implemented recommendations from previous reports.
Groupwork with Men Who Batter: What the Research Literature Indicates (pdf)
This paper focuses on research on small group treatment programs for men who batter. There is controversy over which, if any, programs are the most effective. This paper first provides a brief overview of the history and current practice of groupwork with men who batter, and then focuses on key findings from the published research on batterer group programs.
Handbook for legislation on violence against women (Russian) (pdf)
"A Russian translation of the 2009 Handbook for legislation on violence against women, a report of the expert group meeting organized by the United Nations Division for the Advancement of Women and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. The group studied different legislative approaches to violence against women and developed this handbook for legislation based upon best practices and lessons learned. The handbook also includes commentary on legislation on violence against women in a number of countries."
Hate Violence against Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender People in the United States (pdf)
This is a report about bias-motivated incidents targeting lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans-gender, queer, and questioning (LGBT) individuals in the U.S. during the year 2008. The report includes statistics on violence against LGBT people, stories from survivors, information on where to get help, safety tips, and information on hate crime laws.
A new report from the National Coalition for the Homeless (NCH) contains case descriptions of each attack that includes sexual assault. The report notes that because crimes committed against homeless persons often go unreported, the actual numbers of non-lethal attacks is likely much higher. Rapes and sexual assaults also tend to go unreported. The report recommends that state legislatures add homeless persons as a “protected class” to hate crime legislation, and encourages police trainings so law enforcement officers will better understand homelessness and how to prevent hate crimes.
"In this paper, the author will examine both the effectiveness of feminist therapy and its limitations when counseling immigrant and racially visible women who have been abused. The author will also describe the reality of domestic violence among these women and how their needs differ from women in the dominant culture. Strategies for a more inclusive form of feminist therapy will also be offered as alternatives to existing modes of practice and assessment."
Healthy Marriage and the Legacy of Child Maltreatment: A Child Welfare Perspective (pdf)
"This brief explores how childhood experiences, specifically child maltreatment and involvement with the child welfare system, impact the potential for a healthy, lasting marriage. The author also offers recommendations for addressing the unique needs of couples in which one or both partners have experienced childhood maltreatment."
Helping Traumatized Children at School
A paper that discusses school interventions for traumatized children. It provides some of the guidelines and resources for use when youth's traumas affect their ability to function at school.
Here's Where We Start (pdf)
This booklet informs men of the extent of sexual and domestic violence and provides them with concrete ideas on how they can become part of the solution for ending these crimes. It outlines steps men can take to change the social norms that support sexual and domestic assaults.
Produced for the California Statewide Conference on Domestic Violence by SafeNETWORK, a (now defunct) project of the California Department of Health Services Maternal and Child Health Branch Domestic Violence Section and Intervace Children Family Services. The Herstory of Domestic Violence was originally researched and compiled by SafeNETWORK staff, April Howard and Susan Lewis. The Herstory was revised and updated for SafeNETWORK for the 1999 California Statewide Conference on Domestic Violence by Tamsen Stevenson and Cindi Love.
This summary reports on the key findings of research carried out by the National Union of Students between August 2009 and March 2010. Research concerned women students’ experiences of harassment, financial control, control over their course and institution choices, stalking, violence, and sexual assault.
Hispanic Victims of Violent Crime, 1993-2000 (pdf)
"Examines violent crimes committed against Hispanic victims including rape, sexual assault, robbery, and aggravated and simple assault. Crime victimizations are compared with those of four non-Hispanic groups: whites, blacks, American Indians, and Asians."
"This paper offers a research on DV and homelessness and trends in federal housing policy. A model for conducting a community assessment of local housing needs includes critical thinking questions on an organization’s capacity for housing advocacy."
"The authors review the literature on resilience following childhood maltreatment and describe how variation in the measurement of outcomes at various developmental stages affects research findings, practice implications, and policy recommendations."
How Children Are Involved in Adult Domestic Violence: Results From a Four City Telephone Survey (pdf)
This article, which was published in Vol. 18, No. 1 of the Journal of Interpersonal Violence (2003), summarizes a study that collected direct reports on domestic violence events. Information was gathered through anonymous telephone interviews with 114 battered mothers in four metropolitan areas across the United States, eliciting detailed information from the women on their children’s observations and responses to the violence being committed against the mothers. The article concludes with recommendations for a greater emphasis on careful assessment of children’s involvement in domestic violence incidents and on assisting mothers to achieve economic stability as well as safety.
The report includes: our most current domestic violence fatality statistics; detailed findings and recommendations based on cases reviewed over the past years; an exploratory study of the connection between domestic violence and suicide; copy-ready pages summarizing key findings and recommendations; and an index of the topic areas covered in all four Fatality Review reports.
Immigrant Populations as Victims: Toward a Multicultural Criminal Justice System (pdf)
"This report summarizes findings from a study about the criminal justice system's approach to immigrant victims of crime and barriers that prohibit immigrants from reporting crimes."
Immigrant South Asian Women at Greater Risk for Injury From Intimate Partner Violence (pdf)
"Factors related to immigration may place South Asian immigrant women at increased risk for intimate partner violence. The purpose of the current study was to assess the relations between immigration-related factors and intimate partner violence among a sample of South Asian women residing in the United States."
Immigrant Women and Domestic Violence
This special collection highlights the common experiences of immigrant women who are in abusive relationships, the legal protections and public benefits available, and practices and suggestions for increasing the effectiveness of services provided to immigrant women.
Impact of Intimate Partner Violence on Economic Well-Being (pdf)
In May of 2011 The Center for Financial Security, the U.S. Department of the Treasury, and the Social Security Administration hosted the workshop "Exploring the Intersection Between Financial Literacy and Domestic Violence".
This powerpoint is from one of the six presentations from the workshop. This particular presentation discusses the many facets of
economic abuse as a result of intimate partner violence (IPV).
The other presentation briefs are linked in MINCAVA as well, but to quickly access all six, you may also go to http://cfs.wisc.edu/events/DV_Workshop.aspx.
This document highlights the differences between two of the largest U.S. surveys that attempt to measure violence against women, and explores the factors that attribute to the differences in incidence rates of violence in each study. The surveys examined are the National Crime Victimization Survey and the National Family Violence Survey. Includes a discussion about what each survey tells us about men's and women's use of violence.
Indigenous perpetrators of violence: Prevalence and risk factors for offending
"This report presents results of research into victimisation of, and offending by, Indigenous people. The report draws attention to the need to investigate the specifics of different forms of violent offending, the relationship between victims and offenders and the location and nature of different community settings."
Individual-Systemic Violence: Disabled Women's Standpoint (pdf)
"This article explores reasons for the systemic omission of women with disabilities from mainstream research and from services addressing non-disabled women's experiences."
Infant Exposure to Domestic Violence Predicts Heightened Sensitivity to Adult Verbal Conflict (pdf)
The results of this article found that infants do respond negatively to verbal conflict in the environment.
Information about Murder-Suicides (pdf)
A fact sheet created by the Minnesota Coalition for Battered Women as part of a statewide training for law enforcement officers, prosecutors, and advocates titled the Anatomy of Strangulation.
Interpersonal and Physical Dating Violence among Teens (pdf)
This Focus Report from the National Council on Crime and Delinquency finds that girls exposed to interpersonal violence are more likely to be exposed to other forms of violence, show a greater propensity for unsafe sexual activity, and a higher incidence of substance abuse and suicide than either boys or non-abused girls. The report also offers recommendations for primary prevention programs.
Interpersonal violence and alcohol (pdf)
This report by the World Health Organization presents research on the relation between alcohol and violence. It suggests that alcohol is a situational determinant which increases the risk of most types of violence. Hazardous and harmful use of alcohol has also been shown to be an important consequence of experiencing or witnessing most forms of violence, but especially child maltreatment and intimate partner violence.
Interpersonal Violence and Women With Disabilities: A Research Update
"This article provides an update on what researchers have learned during the past ten years about abuse and women with disabilities and offers some perspectives on the state of current research and its implications for future studies and advocacy efforts."
Intimate or Childhood Sexual Abuse and Obesity in Kentucky
This study concluded that sexual abuse, whether experienced as an adult or child, was associated with a 32% increase in obesity among 4,391 women in Kentucky. The study also found that intimate partner violence and obesity are common health threats for women. The authors suggest that efforts to prevent physical and sexual abuse and mental health consequences of abuse on victims can have implications to improve women's health.
Intimate Partner Violence (pdf)
May 1999. Provides information on violence by intimates. Covers trends in intimate violence, characteristics of victims, where victims tend to live, types of crime, and trends for reporting to police. Intimate victimizations measured include rape, sexual assault, robbery, aggravated assault, and simple assault. Data on murder by intimates are also given.
"This document describes intimate partner violence (IPV) in immigrant and refugee communities in the United States. The report contains four main sections: background information on the incidence of the problem among immigrant and refugee communities, an overview of the needs and challenges of immigrant and refugee IPV victims and service providers, recommendations for funders, service providers and policy-makers, and lastly a discussion of IPV research and evaluation issues to be addressed in immigrant and refugee communities."
Intimate Partner Violence, 1993-2001 (pdf)
Updating Intimate Partner Violence (May 2000, NCJ 178247), these findings are based on NCVS data collected by the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS).
Intimate Partner Violence: High Costs to Households and Communities (pdf)
A report on the cost of intimate partner violence (IPV) in Bangladesh, Morocco and Uganda. These three countries were specifically studied because they have high rates of IPV and their governments recently began to address this problem through new programs and laws. The researchers found that most women did not utilize services after experiencing IPV. The study concluded that IPV imposes huge direct costs on women and service providers in all three countries, including health, justice, police, local traditional authorities and social services, and indirect costs on women and families through lost wages and lower productivity.
Iraq: Insecurity and Violence Against Women
"This document aims to raise awareness about some of the realities facing women in Iraq. The collection focuses more specifically on how current events in Iraq have uniquely impacted Iraqi women and have engendered various forms of violence against women."
Is Domestic Violence Screening Helpful? (pdf)
An article published by the Journal of the American Medical Association in which the author reviews the uncertainty in determining whether screening for domestic violence effectively works to the benefit of families.
It All Starts At Home: Male Adolescent Violence to Mothers (pdf)
This research examined male adolescents' abuse and violence to their sole parent mothers living in Australia. The research highlighted cultural, intra-generational and intergenerational issues relating to family violence, as well as the significant and lasting cumulative impact on the women, where the abuse was experienced from the women's ex-partners and their sons.
Jewish Perspectives in Domestic Violence (word)
"In this paper, the author proposes different ideas relevant to Judaism in regard to domestic violence, offers Jewish precepts and texts, raises current problems for Jewish battered women, describes Jewish programs working to eliminate domestic violence, makes known Jews in the movement/field, cites Jewish Domestic Violence cases, and concludes with Creating Rituals and Blessings."
Justice Research and Policy (JRP) Digest
The JRP Digest contains summaries of articles from Justice Research and Policy, JRSA's peer-reviewed journal. The summaries briefly describe why the study was done, what was found, and what impact the findings have for policymaking.
"This study tested the effectiveness of two court-based intervention programs in California that addressed juvenile domestic and family violence. Primary findings from the study indicated recidivism rates for offenders with prior records were remarkably consistent across sites, the specialized intervention programs in both Santa Clara and San Francisco counties had a deterrent effect on first-time offenders, and the greatest determinant of the probability of recidivism was background characteristics of the offender."
Kenyan Laws and Harmful Customs Curtail Women’s Equal Enjoyment of ICESCR Rights (pdf)
"The Federation of Women Lawyers Kenya (FIDA Kenya) and the International Women’s Human Rights Clinic (IWHRC) at Georgetown University released this report as a supplement to Kenya’s latest periodic report under the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR). The report finds that Kenyan laws and practices prevent women from attaining economic, social and cultural Rights."
Leave or Stay?: Battered Women's Decision After Intimate Partner Violence
"Using data from the Domestic Violence Experience in Omaha, Nebraska, a discrete-time hazard model was employed to examine a woman's decision to leave or stay based on four factors: financial independence, witness of parental violence, psychological factors, and the police response to the domestic violence call."
Lethality Assessment Tools: A Critical Analysis
This document critiques several lethality assessment tools and examines the link between these instruments and research on domestic homicide. Includes a discussion on the antecedents of lethal violence and the utility of dangeousness assessment tools in promoting the safety of battered women.
Making Sense of DNA Backlogs — Myths vs. Reality (pdf)
A special report that addresses the question of why backlogs of DNA evidence awaiting testing persist even after the federal government has provided hundreds of millions of dollars to eliminate them. The report provides an understanding of what a backlog is and how backlogs can be reduced.
"This report from the FRIENDS National Resource Center for Community-Based Child Abuse Prevention provides and overview of a range of prevention strategies that have been found to have some evidence of being able to preventing child abuse and neglect. "
"A study conducted through in-depth interviews with 71 women aged 18-49 who had a history of intimate partner violence. Findings include male reproductive control which encompasses pregnancy-promoting behaviors as well as control and abuse during pregnancy in an attempt to influence the pregnancy outcome. Recommendations include assessing for male reproductive control among women seeking reproductive health services, including antenatal care, so that health care providers may be able to provide education, care, and counseling to help women protect their reproductive health and physical safety."
Male Victims of Domestic Violence: A Substantive and Methodological Research Review (pdf)
"This paper explores claims of gender symmetry in intimate partners' use of violence by reviewing the empirical foundations of the research and critiquing existing sources of data on domestic violence. "
This document offers a critique of the Conflict Tactics Scale (CTS), a commonly-used measurement instrument designed to estimate the extent of violence against women, and the revised version of the instrument (CTS2). The authors examine several limitations to the CTS and CTS2 and describe the need for multiple measures of woman abuse to supplement these measurement instruments.
Meeting Survivors' Needs: A Multi-State Study of Domestic Violence Shelter Experiences
This study provides important insights into the role that shelters play in survivors' efforts to escape violence and abuse. Results capture the voices and experiences of over 3,400 shelter residents in 215 programs across eight states. The website includes links to the press statement announcing the study's release, the Research in Brief, the Executive Summary, and the full report.
Mexico: Amnesty International Submission to the UN Universal Periodic Review
An Amnesty International report submitted to the United Nations Human Rights Council in February 2009. The report highlighted problems in the area of violence against women, in particular, the prevalence of domestic violence in Mexico and the femicides in Ciudad Juarez along the U.S.-Mexican border.
Mobilizing Communities to Prevent Domestic Violence
"This Applied Research document provides an overview of the research on community mobilization to prevent domestic violence, explores guiding concepts and frameworks, and discusses the challenges of implementing community mobilization strategies."
National Crime Victimization Survey Criminal Victimization, 2007 (pdf)
"Presents estimates of rates and levels of personal and property victimization for 2007 and describes the substantial fluctuations in the survey measures of the crime rates from 2005 through 2007. The report includes data on violent crimes (rape/sexual assault, robbery, aggravated assault and simple assault), property crimes (burglary, motor vehicle theft and property theft), and personal theft (pocket picking and purse snatching), and the characteristics of victims of these crimes."
National Elder Abuse Incidence Study - 1998 (pdf)
The first report of its kind in the U.S., this incidence report details the definitions of elder abuse, the characteristics of victims and perpetrators of elder abuse, and the findings of this survey project.
National Trends in Intimate Partner Homicides: Explaining Declines in Canada, 1976 to 2001
"In the past decade, research has begun to identify factors that may be contributing to declines in spousal homicide. The authors address two gaps in the Canadian literature: (a) the documentation of trends, including subgroup variations, and (b) the identification of factors that may be associated with declines. Results indicate that shifts in relative employment and divorce rates appear to be associated with declining rates for women, whereas shifts in men's education and divorce rates appear to be associated with declining rates of spousal homicide for men."
New York City Domestic Violence Fatality Review Committee Annual Report 2008 (pdf)
This report describes family-related homicides that occurred in New York City between 2002 and 2007. Includes key findings, risk factors, and action steps in response to findings.
New York State Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence Fall 2010 Bulletin (pdf)
In the latest issue of the NY State Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence's (OPDV) quarterly newsletter, topics include Domestic Violence and Suicide, Media Coverage of Domestic Violence, Legislative Update, Model Guidelines for College Campuses, and LGBT Curriculum update.
New York State Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence Winter 2010 Bulletin (pdf)
In the latest issue of the NYS Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence's (OPDV) quarterly newsletter, topics include the use of technology in stalking, predicting reabuse and murders of intimate partners, and training events happening around the state.
This document presents a general overview of discourses on culture, religion, and tradition that are used to justify violence against women and looks at cases in various countries, as well as methods to counter such arguments. The paper also provides recommendations for activists, scholars, and policy makers.
Not a Minute More: Ending Violence Against Women (pdf)
This report highlights many of the achievements towards the empowerment of women and indicates what must be done to build on them. It provides examples of practices as well as efforts that did not meet the goals set out for them — and explores why. It looks at the challenges ahead and asks what the most fruitful next steps might be.
On the Road to Equality: Statewide Findings & Policy Recommendations (pdf)
"A supplement to the Status of Girls in Minnesota report by the Women’s Foundation of Minnesota in partnership with the Institute for Women’s Policy Research. Focus groups were conducted in 18 Minnesota communities that included African American, Latino, Native American, Asian American, LBT (Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender), and disabilities communities — to share key research findings and gain community input. This report captures the voices and policy recommendations of these communities, nonprofit and public leaders."
Operationalizing Accountability: The Domains and Bases of Accountability (pdf)
In this article, the authors focus on batterer accountability from a personal accountability standpoint. They created a working definition of accountability that was both theoretically sound and user friendly for participants. The authors concluded that learning how to be accountable in the domains of their daily life is important in facilitating their understanding of accountability in ways that will be useful to them in the future.
Overcoming Domestic Violence: A Global Challenge (pdf)
"The project is part of the World Council of Churches' decade on Overcoming Violence. The report contains seven chapters, beginning with the author’s recommendations from the project. The rest of the chapters place domestic violence within an international human rights framework, discuss domestic violence’s roots, its effects on development, relevant international law milestones, practical strategies culled from project experiences around the world, and the importance of monitoring development projects to ensure women’s full participation."
Parental Alienation Syndrome and Parental Alienation: Research Reviews (pdf)
This VAWnet document provides a historical and research overview of Parental Alienation Syndrome and Parental Alienation, identifies strategic issues for advocates working with victims, and offers guidelines to improve courts’ treatment of these issues.
Patriarchal Beliefs and Perceptions of Abuse among South Asian Immigrant Women
"This study investigates the relationship between South Asian immigrant women’s patriarchal beliefs and their perceptions of spousal abuse. Twenty-minute telephone surveys were conducted with 47 women.As hypothesized, higher agreement with patriarchal social norms predicted a decreased likelihood of identifying the woman in the vignette as a victim of spousal abuse. This finding is discussed in terms of its application to violence against women educational programs in the South Asian immigrant community."
Physical Dating Violence Among High School Students --- United States, 2003
This article in brief addresses the incidence of physical dating violence among high school adolescents and introduces risk as well as protective factors.
"This report includes a discussion of primary prevention of intimate partner violence, promising approaches to environmental/norms change, an examination of IPV primary prevention within immigrant communities, recommended actions to building momentum for primary prevention of IPV, and immediate next steps. The report is designed as a catalyst and call to action, to give a sense of direction and raise some issues for consideration."
"This special collection includes a categorized and selected listing of articles, fact sheets, papers, reports and surveys. It is offered as an additional tool to assist advocates working on and interested in poverty and how it relates to ending violence against women."
Practical Implications of Current Domestic Violence Research, Part I: Law Enforcement
"The first of a 3-part study focuses on what the research tells law enforcement officers about the perpetrators and victims of domestic violence, the outcomes of current law enforcement responses, and what the findings mean for daily law enforcement tasks."
Practical Implications of Current Domestic Violence Research, Part II: Prosecution
"This second part of a 3-part study of the practical implications of domestic violence research for criminal justice personnel focuses on prosecutors' policies and procedures."
Practical Implications of Current Domestic Violence Research, Part III: Judges
"This third part of a three-part study of the practical implications of domestic violence research for criminal justice personnel focuses on judges' policies and practices."
"The purpose of this work is to describe to practitioners what the research tells us about domestic violence, including its perpetrators and victims, the impact of current responses to it and, more particularly, the implications of that research for day-to-day, real-world responses to domestic violence by law enforcement officers, prosecutors and judges."
Predictors of Program Outcome and Recidivism at the Bronx Misdemeanor Domestic Violence Court (pdf)
In this study, the authors examine cases in the Bronx for possible correlates of program mandate non-completion and recidivism. A literature review of domestic violence prevention and intervention programs is presented followed by the research study and outcomes.
Prevalence and Determinants of Intimate Partner Abuse Among Public Hospital Primary Care Patients (pdf)
"The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence, sociodemographic determinants, and depression correlates of intimate partner abuse among an ethnically diverse population of women patients."
Prevalence of Intimate Partner Violence Against Women in Regions of Brazil (pdf)
"This article analyzes the results from the 'WHO Multi-country Study on Women’s Health and Domestic Violence,' on the prevalence of intimate partner violence against women in Brazil."
Prevalence of Intimate Partner Violence Among an Abortion Clinic Population
"A cross-sectional clinic based study that estimated the prevalence of intimate partner violence among patients who had elective abortions. The study concluded that abortion patients experience high intimate partner violence rates, indicating the need for targeted screening and community-based referral."
Prevalence, Incidence, and Consequences of Violence Against Women
A November 1998 report that summarizes the results of a national survey on men's and women's experiences with violence. This research brief is issued jointly by the National Institute of Justice and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Includes information about rape, stalking, and rate of injury. The report is available to download as either an ASCII text file or an Adobe Acrobat file.
Preventing and Responding to Domestic & Sexual Violence in Later Life
"This special collection brings together selected materials related to preventing and responding to elder abuse, specifically domestic and sexual violence. It highlights the complexities of older people's DV/SV experiences and emphasizes collaborative and multi-pronged approaches to addressing DV/SV in later life."
Preventing and Responding to Teen Dating Violence
This special collection emphasizes collaborative and multilevel approaches to the prevention of, and response to, teen dating violence. It draws on the work of many organizations and organizes the resources on TDV prevention and responses by different populations.
Preventing violence and reducing its impact: How development agencies can help (pdf)
This document makes the case for increased attention on the impact of violence on development by international development agencies. A key aim is to stimulate dialogue on the role of international development agencies in the prevention of violence globally, and ultimately to increase investment in a commonly agreed set of applied violence prevention strategies. The primary audience for this document is policy-makers, high-level planners, and others in the international development field.
Preventing Violence the Problem-Solving Way
April 1999 Juvenile Justice Bulletin- Analyzes intervention methods based on the hypothesis that behavior can be modified by focusing on thought processes rather than on behaviors.
Problem-Oriented Guides for Police - Domestic Violence (pdf)
Domestic disputes are some of the most common calls for police service. This guide discusses domestic disputes that involve violence, as well as the measures that can be used to reduce them. This is an essential tool for law enforcement to help analyze and respond to their local problem.
Profiling Domestic Violence: A Multi-Country Study
"This study examines the prevalence and correlates of domestic violence and its health consequences using nationally representative data from nine countries: Cambodia, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Egypt, Haiti, India, Nicaragua, Peru, and Zambia."
Programming to Address Violence against Women (pdf)
"This is the second volume in a series that focuses on prevention and response tools for violence against women. The publication features eight case studies that highlight initiatives that have proven successful in combating violence against women: Algeria, Guatemala, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe. The UNFPA hopes to support current efforts in the eight case study countries and encourage other countries to take steps toward ending violence against women."
Promising Practices with Men Who Batter (pdf)
In this report to the King County Domestic Violence Council, the author provides a literature review of promising practices with men who batter, ranging from historical to current approaches. Key research findings on batterer intervention programs(BIP) are provided, including current concerns with BIPs. Finally, current gaps in services are identified and recommendations are given.
"This document presents key findings of the consultation held in May 2008 to identify and promote approaches in national development planning, implementation and budgeting that bring real results in empowering women and reducing HIV and AIDS among women and girls. It highlights the need for a framework that links structural, social and individual determinants of gender inequality as well as presents opportunities to strengthen the focus on intersections between HIV, violence against women, and sexual and reproductive health access and rights. This publication includes a multimedia resource CD, available below for download."
Promoting gender equality to prevent violence against women (pdf)
"The World Health Organization has released a briefing highlighting the importance of the role gender plays in interpersonal violent situations, community- and school-based initiatives to empower women, the role of the media in altering gender norms, and the importance of engaging with men to combat violence against women. The briefing is one of an eight-part series on how to prevent interpersonal and self-directed violence."
Providing Services to Immigrant Women in Atlantic Canada (pdf)
"This article describes some of the findings of research conducted in 2005 and 2006, which found that being an immigrant was a factor not only in immigrant women’s experiences of violence in Atlantic Canada, but also in their access to support services. Immigrant women and the professionals who provide services to them describe some of the barriers they face and conclude that fully funded and coordinated prevention and intervention programs and services to immigrant women are needed in Atlantic Canada."
Psychological Abuse: A Discussion Paper (pdf)
"This paper is a review of research on psychological abuse in interpersonal and family relationships including in settings such as long-term care residences.The paper presents research findings on the personal, economic and health related costs of psychological abuse to the individual and to society, and briefly outlines legal recourses for victims. It concludes by exploring ways to recognize and address psychological abuse, while emphasizing the importance of developing holistic approaches "
This document provides guidelines for research on domestic violence against women.
Rape Myths (pdf)
This document looks at several articles that examine widely held prejudicial beliefs about rape, rape victims, and perpetrators and the role these myths play in justifying and perpetuating sexual violence.
Rape Prevention and Risk Reduction: Review of the Research Literature for Practitioners
"This Applied Research paper examines both single- and mixed-gender rape prevention and risk reduction programs, and provides suggestions for practitioners to design, implement, and evaluate programs."
Re-Examining ‘Battering’: Are All Acts of Violence Against Intimate Partners the Same? (pdf)
"This article differentiates among five categories of domestic violence by analyzing the dynamics, nuance and components of intimate partner violence, with the idea that this critical comprehension is vital in creating intervention and prevention models that befit the behavior. Grasping important differences in partner violence is crucial for researchers, practitioners and advocates for developing effective interventions for victims and perpetrators."
Recommendations for Establishing and Maintaining Successful Researcher-Practitioner Collaborations (pdf)
This document summarizes advice and information collected from the perspectives of victim advocates, practitioners, and researchers about ways to create effective collaborations that produce the most useful research on issues relevant to ending violence against women.
Recruitment and Retention in Intimate Partner Violence Research (pdf)
This report focuses on methods of recruitment and retention in intimate partner violence research with particular attention to attrition in batterer treatment programs and retention in longitudinal studies. Case studies highlighting recruitment and retention methods in five different intimate partner violence research programs are described by their respective investigators. A set of guidelines is offered for recruitment and retention in intimate partner violence research, which is intended to help guide the field by offering suggestions that can lead to successful recruitment and retention efforts in a way that maintains the safety of participants and researchers alike.
Reflections from the Field: Considerations for Domestic Violence Specialists (pdf)
"Domestic violence and child protection professionals from multiple states came together to discuss the complexity of systems-change work and the continued need for a social justice framework to guide these efforts. This document is a compilation of their stories and insights as people who have worked as or supported domestic violence specialists dedicated to helping families experiencing the co-occurrence of domestic violence and child maltreatment."
Refugee and Asylum Seeking Women Affected by Rape or Sexual Violence: a Literature Review (pdf)
"The review summarizes the learning from the Refugee Council Vulnerable Women’s Project and situates that learning within the wider context of what is known about rape and sexual violence. It provides a summary of evidence that is available about the prevalence of sexual violence against refugee women, and about access to justice in some of the countries from which the Project’s clients have fled."
Report Cards on Teen Dating Violence 2008 (pdf)
Break the Cycle issued the first-ever state-by-state report cards evaluating the level of legal protection each state offers young victims of domestic and dating violence. The report was issued in conjunction with National Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Week, February 4-8, 2008.
Reproductive Justice & Violence Against Women: Understanding the Intersections
"The purpose of this special collection is to provide resources and an introduction to reproductive justice, focusing particularly on the connections between the elimination of reproductive oppression and domestic and sexual violence."
This document, comprised of research from many leading experts in the field of domestic violence, lays out the case that the majority of high conflict child custody disputes have a history of domestic violence.
Researching Violence Against Women: A Practical Guide for Researchers and Activists
An in depth look at the issue of violence against women as a health issue and suggests tools for using research and developing data assessing this issue.
Restorative Justice and Intimate Partner Violence (pdf)
This Applied Research document discusses the role of victims within restorative justice, reviews the research on restorative justice, and discusses the potential harms and benefits of using restorative justice in cases of intimate partner violence.
Risk Factors for Injury to Women from Domestic Violence
This study concluded that women at greatest risk for injury from domestic violence include those with male partners who abuse alcohol or use drugs, are unemployed or intermittently employed, have less than a high-school education, and are former husbands, estranged husbands, or former boyfriends of the women.
Safe Start Promising Approaches Communities: Working Together to Help Children Exposed to Violence (pdf)
Launched by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention(OJJDP) and its Federal partners in the Department of Justice and the Department of Health and Human Services, the initiative is designed as a national framework which seeks to address the needs of children exposed to violence. This booklet describes each of the 15 Safe Start Promising Approaches communities and outlines how these programs are integrating evidence-based or promising practices as well as other complementary interventions within their geographical, agency, and community contexts.
Safe States, 2003 edition (pdf)
This document explains how state health department injury prevention programs apply the public health model every day, achieving results that reduce injuries and save tens of thousands of lives.
This article assesses the relationship between bullying peers as a child and adult intimate partner violence perpetration in a clinic-based sample of adult men. School bullying perpetration and intimate partner violence perpetration are both thought to stem from desire for power and control over others.
Scope of the Problem: Domestic Violence in Asian, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Homes (pdf)
This document provides information on the prevalence rates of domestic violence in the API communities, unique dynamics in families, socio-cultural barriers in getting help, and highlights the need for ethnic diversity and culturally competent programs.
Security Begins at Home (pdf)
The Kosova Women’s Network released the country’s first study on domestic violence, called Security Begins at Home. The report highlights key points such as: what the citizens of Kosovo perceive as domestic violence, the forms and consequences of domestic violence, citizens' response to ending it, and the legal and institutional gaps in addressing it.
Self-reported Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Data Brief (pdf)
"Summarizes intimate partner and sexual violence victimization from three different Minnesota surveys and one national survey."
Shattered Hearts: The Commercial Sexual Exploitation of American Indian Women and Girls in Minnesota (pdf)
A groundbreaking report released by the Minnesota Indian Women’s Resource Center (MIWRC) highlights the alarming and pervasive sex trafficking of American Indian women and girls in Minnesota. The first comprehensive report of its kind, it highlights risk factors for victims that include poverty, a disproportionate number of American Indian homeless, high incidences of overall sexual assault, Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) and pervasive multi-generational trauma.
Shattered Lives: Homicides, Domestic Violence and Asian Families (pdf)
This report focuses on domestic violence related homicides as a critical issue affecting Asian, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander battered women since 2001. Types of domestic violence related homicides, children as victims, and perpetrator types are discussed. Findings and recommendations are also provided.
Silence is Violence: End the Abuse of Women in Afghanistan (pdf)
A new United Nations (UN) report on women in Afghanistan that focuses on the growing trend of violence and threats against women in public life and rape/sexual violence. The report concludes that these forms of violence are a huge occurrence in the everyday lives of Afghan women and the government has a crucial role in helping to eradicate these harmful practices towards women.
Spouse Assault Replication Program: Studies of Effects of Arrest on Domestic Violence
"Reviews NIJ studies on arrest policies for misdemeanor domestic assault, an attempt to replicate the Minneapolis Domestic Violence Experiment (1984), which found that arrest was almost twice as effective as other police actions in preventing re-arrest."
Stalking and Domestic Violence Report to Congress (pdf)
"This report to Congress is part of an ongoing commitment to share information about strategies that show promise in the field and about the development of laws addressing stalking. It is produced in response to Subtitle F of VAWA, which directs the U.S. Attorney General to submit a report on these issues. The report includes information on cyberstalking, victim needs, law enforcement responses to stalking, and a bibliography."
Starting Smart: How Early Experiences Affect Brain Development
"This report provides a straightforward summary of the interactions between early brain development, childhood emotional experiences and trauma. Drawing from this research, it concludes by making a case for increased services to counter the disadvantages faced by children who experience trauma or neglect."
State Court Processing of Domestic Violence Cases
"Report on a study comparing domestic violence and non-domestic violence sexual and aggravated assault cases filed in state courts of 15 large urban counties during May 2002 on 11 prosecution, conviction and sentencing outcome measures."
Status of Girls in Illinois (pdf)
This report addresses a wide spectrum of areas affecting Illinois girls’ lives, including sexuality, violence, incarceration, substance abuse, health, education and physical fitness.
Full report is linked. Executive summary can be found at http://www.steansfamilyfoundation.org/pdf/SOG_Executive_Summar.pdf
Substance Abuse and Intimate Partner Violence
This paper discusses the link between substance abuse(SA) and intimate partner violence(IPV), the co-occurrence of SA and IPV, highlight the special role of men’s drunkenness in IPV, examine substance abuse by victims, and briefly present issues related to coordination and integration of SA and IPV services.
The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of domestic violence among female patients and to identify clinical characteristics that are associated with current domestic violence.
This new study commissioned by NCEA highlights data sources on elder abuse in the health care, long term care, criminal justice, fiduciary, and legal services arenas, beyond adult protective services data. Such data are required as a basis for informed and enlightened social policy on the prevention and treatment of elder abuse.
The Cost of Violence in the United States
"The items on this fact sheet provide evidence of the large health and economic burden of violence in the US as reported in the journal article, Medical Costs and Productivity Losses Due to Interpersonal Violence and Self- Directed Violence."
The Economic Dimensions of Interpersonal Violence (pdf)
This document examines the economic effects of interpersonal violence, including sexual violence, as well as the economic effects of interventions seeking to reduce violence and the ways in which economic factors such as poverty and income inequality contribute to violence.
The Economic Impacts of Domestic Violence: A Blueprint for Action (pdf)
"This report contains selected findings and recommendations resulting from a series of hearings held in MA in June 2001. The hearings involved more than 125 people, with 40% of these identifying as survivors of domestic violence."
The Epidemiology of Trauma and Trauma-Related Disorders in Children and Youth (pdf)
"This publication reviews general population studies, disaster research, child maltreatment studies, and special population studies that report the prevalence of PTSD in children, adolescents, and young adults. It includes a brief discussion of the cumulative adverse effects of traumatic stress experienced from infancy through adolescence."
The Facts about Domestic Violence
This fact sheet provides current information and statistics on domestic violence. Information includes a working definition, exploration of how different communities are affected by domestic violence and legal protections for victims of domestic violence.
The Facts on Reproductive Health and Violence Against Women (pdf)
This fact sheet provides information and statistics on teen and adult unintended pregnancies, contraception use, sexually transmitted infections, and violence during pregnancy.
The Facts On Teen Dating Violence (pdf)
A fact sheet created by FVPF on the prevalence and consequences of teen dating violence.
The Greenbook Initiative Final Evaluation Report (pdf)
"The Greenbook national evaluation results are presented in three reports. The Greenbook Demonstration Initiative: Process Evaluation Report: Phase 1 focused on the planning and goal setting phase of the Greenbook initiative in the sites. This final evaluation report assesses the extent to which the Greenbook implementation activities facilitated cross-system and within system change and practice in the child welfare agencies, dependency courts, and domestic violence service providers."
The Impact of Conflict on Women and Girls in West and Central Africa and the UNICEF response (pdf)
"This first-of-its-kind study by UNICEF on the situation of war-affected girls and women in the region highlights innovative programmes being implemented with partners to address the impact of conflict, and recommends how UNICEF can more proactively champion the rights of girls - particularly adolescent girls."
"This article provides an overview of the current recommendations for HIV testing and counseling and IPV screening and discusses issues germane to providing services to persons at risk for both HIV and IPV. The article concludes with considerations for practice and policy."
The prevalence of child abuse and neglect
"A resource sheet that summarizes the current knowledge about the prevalence of child abuse and neglect in Australia. It provides an overview of Australian studies that have estimated the prevalence of the different forms of child maltreatment."
The Relationship Between Domestic Violence and Child Abuse (pdf)
"Cites surveys and reports published between 1987 and 1996, briefly describing: what is domestic violence; what is child abuse; how does domestic violence affect children; and similarities/correlations between domestic violence and/or child abuse."
The Safe Start Center Series on Children Exposed to Violence: Pediatric Care Settings (pdf)
This issue brief translates emerging research and program practice into action steps for practitioners in pediatric care settings to design and implement programs that meet the needs of children who are exposed to violence.
The Social Construction of Wife Abuse: Experiences of Asian Indian Women in the United States
"The terms wife abuse and battered woman were coined in the 1970s. Although such naming is meaningful, these social constructions are restrictive so that only a narrow range of behaviors and people fit these labels. With the help of interviews with Hindu Asian Indian immigrants, this article highlights the importance of including the experiences of diverse groups of women in any analysis of domestic violence. The study challenges the popular perception of abused women, specifically South Asian battered women, as passive victims."
The State of the World's Children 2009 Report
"The State of the World's Children 2009 examines critical issues in maternal and newborn health, underscoring the need to establish a comprehensive continuum of care for mothers, newborns and children. The report outlines the latest paradigms in health programming and policies for mothers and newborns, and explores policies, programmes and partnerships aimed at improving maternal and neonatal health. Africa and Asia are a key focus for this report, which complements the previous year's issue on child survival."
The Structured Decision Making Model: An Evidenced-based Approach to Human Services
Structured Decision Making (SDM) is an evidence-based model designed to help agencies and caseworkers make accurate risk assessments about families and children. A new guide from the Children's Research Center (CRC), a division of the National Council on Crime and Delinquency, reviews the principles of the SDM model and provides updated information on its use in jurisdictions around the country.
The Use of Expert Testimony on Intimate Partner Violence (pdf)
"This Applied Research paper presents an overview of the uses of expert testimony, the qualifications and roles of experts, the literature on the use of testimony on the effects of battering, and considerations for future research."
"This briefing paper addresses the needs of the women of the Gulf Coast region and uncovers the multiple disadvantages experienced by women affected by both hurricane Katrina and Rita."
Towards a Common European Framework to Monitor Progress in Combating Violence Against Women (pdf)
"Contains proposals for policies and indicators that could form the basis for a tool to monitor State progress in combating violence against women, as well as case studies of European initiatives that illustrate good practices."
Traumatic Brain Injury and Domestic Violence: Understanding the Intersections
"This Special Collection offers information about the intersection between domestic violence and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). It provides advocates and other professionals with tools to screen for TBI within the context of domestic violence as well as presentations, articles, and other relevant resources on the topic. "
Two steps forward, one step back: Community attitudes to violence against women
"Summarizes key findings of the Violence Against Women Community Attitudes Project, undertaken to inform future work to prevent violence against women by improving understanding of how community attitudes contribute to this problem."
U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics Special Report, Intimate Partner Violence (pdf)
"This DOJ Report has data on IPV based on estimates from the NCVS. This report is often cited for the finding that intimate partner victimization rates were significantly higher for people living in rental housing vs. those living in their own homes."
UN study on Violence Against Children
"A press release on a new effort to provide a detailed global picture of the nature, extent and causes of violence against children, and propose clear recommendations for action to prevent and reduce such violence. The study focuses on violence against children in five settings: the home and family, schools and educational settings, other institutional settings (orphanages, children in conflict with the law), the community and on the streets, and work situations. "
Understanding and Preventing Violence
"Discusses the findings of the National Academy of Sciences Panel on the Understanding and Control of Violent Behavior, established to review the current status of research in violence."
Understanding Children’s Exposure to Violence (pdf)
The Safe Start Center has developed a series of briefs on Children Exposed to Violence. The briefs are developed to respond to an urgent need to translate research-based information and disseminate it to practitioners who can use it in their work with children and families in different settings. This particular brief describes core concepts—gleaned from research and program practice—used in designing and implementing programs that address children’s exposure to violence.
Increasing emphasis has been placed on the importance of evidence-informed prevention strategies and evidence-based decision making. In this guidance document, the authors aim to explain the purpose and meaning of the Continuum of Evidence of Effectiveness, a tool that was developed to facilitate a common understanding of what the Best Available Research Evidence means in the field of violence prevention. This Continuum also serves to provide common language for researchers, practitioners, and policy-makers in discussing evidence-based decision making.
This study is based on qualitative research undertaken in a small community in the province of Punjab in Pakistan. The research aims to deepen understanding of male attitudes and perceptions on gender based violence and their link to masculine identity.
Understanding National Rape Statistics (pdf)
"This Applied Research paper provides an overview of how estimates of sexual violence in the United States are produced, with particular emphasis on major sources of rape statistics at the national level."
UNIFEM Facts & Figures on Violence Against Women
The United Nations Development Fund For Women provides statistics on many forms of violence women face including domestic and intimate partner violence, sexual violence, trafficking of women and girls, HIV/AIDS and violence, and more.
Update of the 'Battered Woman Syndrome' Critique
"This Applied Research paper reviews the definition, evolution, and utilization of “battered woman syndrome” in the courts and offers a critique of its framework and its use."
Using Rapist Risk Factors to Set an Agenda for Rape Prevention
"This article briefly reviews the empirical research on the behaviors, traits, developmental experiences, and biological antecedents that have been found to be associated with an increased probability that a male will become sexually aggressive. It attempts to differentiate correlative and causative factors and to identify gaps in our knowledge that must be addressed to develop models of etiology on which to base effective prevention programs."
The PIVOT Project of Aid to Victims of Domestic Abuse in Houston is participating in a multi-site battering intervention program evaluation being conducted by Edward Gondolf and funded by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This paper presents the view of collaborative research from the perspective of the program staff and what they learned from the process.
Violence Against Women and Girls: A Compendium of Monitoring and Evaluation Indicators (pdf)
"This compendium offers a set of monitoring and evaluation indicators for program managers, organizations, and policy makers working to address violence against women and girls at individual, community, district and national levels in developing countries."
Violence Against Women and HIV/AIDS: Setting the Research Agenda (pdf)
This report summarizes the important future research agenda regarding the intersection of violence against women, particularly sexual violence, within the context of domestic violence and HIV/AIDS.
Violence against Women – Facts and Figures (pdf)
"This article provides facts and figures on violence against women to illustrate the devastating toll on women’s lives, on their families, and on society as a whole."
This report provides information regarding the General Assembly of the United Nations' adoption of a resolution entitled "In-depth study on all forms of violence against women." The resolution requires the Secretary-General to conduct an in-depth study on all forms and manifestations of violence against women. This report offers background information on data collection, a summary of the discussion and objectives of the expert group meeting, and recommendations for collecting data on violence against women, improving population-based surveys and enhancing service-based data.
Violence Against Women: Classic Papers
The purpose of this project was to assemble some of the classic works in the field of violence against women so that new generations of students, practitioners, and researchers would have a collective understanding of the work that has shaped the field. Included are commentaries from the original authors, when available, reflecting on why they authored the work when they did and the influence of their work on the field.
Violence against Women: Facts and Figures
"This article provides facts and figures on violence against women to illustrate the devastating toll on women's lives, on their families, and on society as a whole."
This document is a compilation of research and evaluation projects on violence against women issues from 1993 to the present. The Compendium contains a table of contents which lists grants by topic and an index that lists the grants funded by year.
"Compiles some U.S. BJS and FBI data on violence between people who have an intimate relationship: spouses, ex-spouses, and current and former boyfriends and girlfriends. Includes violent crimes of murder, rape, sexual assault, and simple assault."
Violence Data Brief: Intimate Partner Violence in Minnesota 1998-2001 (pdf)
This document, published in November 2002, provides statistical information related to intimate partner violence (IVP) in Minnesota from 1998-2001. The document outlines the number of fatalities, the number of reported incidents in each county, and various other demographics such as gender and age.
Violence in the EU Examined (pdf)
"A report published by the University of Ljubljana in Slovenia on good practices and general recommendations for domestic violence initiatives in the Czech Republic, Cyprus, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia. The project includes findings on sexual harassment, female genital mutilation, honor crimes, exploitation, trafficking, and other issues affecting women and children. A summary of the report’s general recommendations is also available."
Violence in the Lives of Children (pdf)
"This data brief from Child Trends reviews data on the types of violence experienced by U.S. children, including exposure to violence through media to abuse by parents and peers. Differences by age, gender, and race/ethnicity are discussed along with priorities for filling gaps in the data that is available on this topic."
Violence in the Lives of Persons who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing
"This Special Collection offers information regarding the experiences and needs of individuals who are Deaf or hard of hearing and victims/survivors of domestic and/or sexual violence. The collection seeks to increase knowledge and understanding of deaf culture, provide resources to assist professionals working directly with deaf individuals, and highlight best practices."
Violence, Pregnancy and Abortion: Issues of Women's Rights and Public Health (pdf)
The second edition of this monograph reviews worldwide data on the the relationship between violence, pregnancy and abortion and suggests measures different sectors of society can take to reduce the suffering of women and girls, and to ensure their basic human right to be free from violence.
Visibility Through Data: Health Information for Urban American Indian and Alaska Native Communities (pdf)
"This report summarizes information for providers working toward improving the health and well-being of urban American Indian and Alaska Native communities and is a resource that highlights specific health issues facing this population. "
Welfare, Poverty, and Abused Women: New Research and its Implications (pdf)
"This summary of studies on domestic violence and TANF recipients explores their physical and mental health and work experience. It focuses on interference from their partners, barriers to work, the Family Violence Option, and the Child Support Exemption."
What Is Trauma and Why Is It Important?
This is the first issue in a series focusing on trauma and child welfare systems. This issue defines trauma and describes its significance. Successive issues will highlight childhood trauma in the context of culture and identify ways in which child welfare systems can best respond to children.
When Men Murder Women: An Analysis of 2000 Homicide Data
This annual report details female homicides involving one female murder victim and one male offender and illustrates the unique role firearms play in female homicide. The report concludes that the majority of women are not killed by strangers lurking in the dark but by those that are closest to them, including spouses, intimate acquaintances, and close relatives.
When Men Murder Women: An Analysis of 2001 Homicide Data (pdf)
When Men Murder Women offers national and state-by-state statistics from FBI Supplementary Homicide Report data including charts listing the number and rate of female homicides by state and a chart ranking each state by rate. For the top 15 states, data are broken out by: age and race of victim; type of weapon used; relationship of victim to offender; and, the circumstances of the murder.
When Men Murder Women: An Analysis of 2007 Homicide Data (pdf)
The report details national and state-by-state information on female homicides involving one female murder victim and one male offender. The study uses the most recent data available from the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s unpublished Supplementary Homicide Report.
WHO Multi-country Study on Women's Health and Domestic Violence – Country Findings: Brazil
"This fact sheet provides information on the methods and main findings of the study, with regard to the phenomenon of intimate partner violence against women in Brazil. Data on sexual abuse and non-partner physical and sexual violence is also included."
"With an End in Sight" narrates inspiring stories showing how groups of people are moving ahead and creating new ideas to combat violence against women. It provides knowledge, insight and hope of how violence against women can be eliminated with combined effort, compelling advocacy, and wide-reaching education.
Women and Health: Today’s Evidence, Tomorrow’s Agenda (pdf)
"This report reviews evidence on the health issues that particularly affect girls and women throughout their life course. This report uses currently available data to draw attention to the consequences and costs of failing to address health issues at appropriate points in their lives."
Women and HIV/AIDS: Confronting the Crisis
"This report documents the latest information on the current HIV/AIDS pandemic, the devastating and often invisible impact of AIDS on women and girls and highlights the ways discrimination, poverty and gender-based violence help fuel the epidemic. Most importantly, the report targets the strategies to reverse the trends."
Working to End Violence Against Women in Brazil
"This VAWnet special collection highlights and celebrates the tremendous work being done in Brazil to end violence against women. The selected materials and resources provide a snapshot of the magnitude of the problem and highlight various recommendations for public policy as well as opportunities for community involvement and action."
Working with Young Men Who Batter: Current Strategies and New Directions
This article offers an overview of the recent juvenile batterer intervention programs. It identifies risk factors for teen dating violence perpetration as described by the literature and considers the utility of these findings, describes efforts to prevent re-offenses by juvenile perpetrators of domestic violence, discusses several shortcomings inherent in post-crisis intervention, and outlines current challenges within the field.
World Report on Violence against Children
"This book addresses all violence against children within the family, schools, alternative care institutions and detention facilities, places where children work and communities. It lists the relevant international and national legal instruments and standards. It also describes the nature and impact of all forms of violence, indicating possible risk and causal factors. Finally, and most important, based on existing evidence and concrete examples, it provides detailed recommendation on measures to be taken to enhance the protection of children from violence."
Yaari Dosti: Young Men Redefine Masculinity (pdf)
"This training manual is a tool for those aiming to promote gender equity and address masculinity as a strategy for the prevention of HIV infection. The Manual is based on operations research that was undertaken in Mumbai and Uttar Pradesh to develop educational activities targeted to young men."
Younger Women at Great Risk of Intimate Partner Violence
Summary of the new report, Intimate Partner Violence and Age of Victim, released by the U.S. Department of Justice's Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS).
Restorative justice
Before it Occurs: Primary Prevention of Intimate Partner Violence and Abuse (pdf)
Focusing on primary prevention and applying lessons learned from past successes, our chapter presents a framework for meaningful health sector involvement in initiating the environmental change necessary to stop intimate partner violence and abuse before it occurs.
Georgia Domestic Violence Fatality Review Report (pdf)
The Report analyzes single-victim homicides and near-deadly assaults, provides strategies for ending domestic violence, and spotlights communities that have successfully implemented recommendations from previous reports.
Reentry: Helping Former Prisoners Return to Communities (pdf)
"This guide offers Making Connections site teams and local partners a way to think about and reduce the negative impact of incarceration on their communities. It presents an overview of the issue, describes challenges that sites are likely to face when tackling this work, describes promising approaches, and offers resources for finding further information. Part of the TARC Resource Guide series."
Restorative Justice and Intimate Partner Violence (pdf)
This Applied Research document discusses the role of victims within restorative justice, reviews the research on restorative justice, and discusses the potential harms and benefits of using restorative justice in cases of intimate partner violence.
The Role of Restorative Justice in the Battered Women's Movement (pdf)
This article provides a comparison of the principles and practices of the restorative justice and battered women's movements. It provides an analysis and critique of each movement's response to domestic violence, and proposes an interpretation of what is effective, redemptive and liberating about the practices of each. Ultimately the paper provides suggested directions for future work within both fields.
Risk factors
"This report provides an analysis of patterns of human rights abuses against women who are exposed to the risk of or are already living with HIV in rural contexts of widespread poverty and unemployment."
Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation In Licensed Facilities (pdf)
Offers information and resources on elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation in licensed facilities.
Advancing the Nation's Health: A Guide to Public Health Research Needs, 2006-2015 (pdf)
"This guide is meant to serve as a critical resource for research areas that should be addressed during the next decade by CDC and its partners in response to current and future public health needs and events."
Baseline Survey on Sexual and Gender Based Violence in Rwanda (pdf)
"This study was conducted to shed light on the magnitude of sexual and gender-based violence in Rwanda, and to determine and analyze the perceptions that communities have about the nature, causes and consequences of incidents of violence. This study also explores the subsequent actions that survivors have taken, and evaluates the role of various stakeholders in preventing and fighting sexual and gender-based violence."
Broken Trust: Elders, Family & Finances (pdf)
"This is a report of a collaborative study of elder financial abuse. The study examines the prevalence as well as characteristics of victims and perpetrators of financial elder abuse and offers suggestions for identifying and addressing this problem. "
California Batterer Intervention Systems Study
This study on batterer intervention programs in the state of California encompasses 5 counties, 53 batterer intervention programs that provide client data, and over 1,000 men enrolled in those programs. The study found that the individual characteristics of the offenders, and not the program they were enrolled in nor the features of the specific court they were sentenced in, were the strongest predictors of outcomes.
Child Abuse and Neglect Fatalities: Statistics and Interventions (pdf)
"This 2008 brief report presents statistical information on maltreatment-related fatalities of children including who are the victims and perpetrators and how communities often respond. "
Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention : Reports from the Field and Ideas for the Future (pdf)
"This report summarizes findings from a PPN project conducted for the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation's Child Abuse Prevention Program. The project sought to assess the current state of the child abuse and neglect prevention field as well as identify potential future directions for the field in terms of emerging priorities and prevention strategies."
Describes major legal and social trends surrounding custody and visitation decisions and the social science evidence supporting the need to consider domestic violence. Recommendations for custody and visitation decisions are explored.
Chinese Lifetime Spiral of Gender Violence (pdf)
"Chinese translation of the Lifetime Spiral of Gender Violence. The spiral implicitly locates a range of abuses in the lives of girls and women, revealing patterns of victimization and perpetration. The Lifetime Spiral is designed to be used by everyone to identify histories of violence in their own lives or in the lives of family and friends."
Colonization and Violence against Women (pdf)
This article was created from the Proceedings from the National Summit on Domestic Violence in Asian and Pacific Islander Communities, which was held in June 2002. The article highlights various myths around the Asian and Pacific Islander cultures and colonization's role, as it relates to violence against women.
Criminal Victimization, 2008 (pdf)
"The report includes data on violent crimes (rape/sexual assault, robbery, aggravated assault and simple assault), property crimes (burglary, motor vehicle theft and property theft), and personal theft (pocket picking and purse snatching), and the characteristics of victims of these crimes. The report also includes estimates of intimate partner violent crime and use of firearms and other weapons in the commission of violent crime overall."
Danger Zone: Battered Mothers and Their Families in Supervised Visitation (pdf)
"This paper outlines research conducted at a supervised visitation center specifically for serving families where domestic violence was the primary reason for referral. The authors have classified their experiences based on these main subjects: battered women in supervised visitation, how battering continues during supervised visitation, how the rules of the supervised visitation center evolved during the first 18 months of implementation, the importance of well-trained visit monitors, and the need to include supervised visitation centers within a larger context of coordinated community responses to domestic violence."
Domestic Violence and the Gay Community: A Right to Peace and Safety
An article on the myths and realities about domestic violence in the LGBT community. Also included is a list of resources for LGBT victims of domestic violence.
Domestic Violence in Filipino Communities (pdf)
A fact sheet on domestic violence in the Filipino communities and includes a selected list of translated materials and resources in the Tagalog and Ilocano languages.
Domestic Violence in Hmong and Laotian Communities (pdf)
A fact sheet on domestic violence in the Hmong and Laotian communities and includes a list of translated materials in their respective languages.
Domestic Violence in Korean Communities (pdf)
A fact sheet on domestic violence in Korean communities and provides a selected list of translated materials and resources in Korean.
Domestic Violence in South Asian Communities (pdf)
A fact sheet with statistics on domestic violence in Bangladeshi, Bhutanese, Indian, Nepali, Pakistani, and Sri Lankan communities. Also includes a selected list of translated materials in Bengali, Gujrati, Hindi, Punjabi, Tamil, and Urdu languages.
Domestic Violence in Vietnamese Communities (pdf)
A fact sheet that provides statistics on domestic violence in Vietnamese communities, a selection of translated materials for victims and service providers, as well as directories for international resources.
Domestic Violence Risk Assessment Bench Guide
"A research-based bench guide for use by Minnesota judges at all stages of family, Order for Protection, civil or criminal cases involving domestic violence."
Domestic Violence, Mental Health & Trauma: Research Highlights (pdf)
"Provides statistical information and findings from several research reports. Statistics are provided on the prevalence of domestic violence and mental health in the U.S., followed by research findings supporting the connection between trauma and mental health."
Economic Violence To Women and Girls: Is It Receiving the Necessary Attention? (pdf)
"This paper seeks to draw attention to the types of economic violence experienced by women, and describes its consequences on health and development. Recommendations for practice, policy, and research are also given."
This document provides an overview of elder abuse including types of abuse, risk factors, and prevention and intervention strategies for individuals, families, and communities.
Elder Abuse: A Well Kept Secret
This article focuses on defining the scope of the problem, addressing the related issue of self-neglect, and outlining community resources for caregivers of the elderly.
Elder Abuse: A Women’s Issue (pdf)
"This report brings together experts and organizations that work to combat the problem of elder abuse, sharing its many dimensions and complexities, how it affects women in a disproportionate manner, and seeking effective solutions."
Elder Mistreatment: Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation in an Aging America
This full book link is provided courtesy of The National Academies Press. This is an online book and can be read in its entirety front to back, by chapter or skimmed by topic of interest. Published in 2002, this book details everything from the definitions and concepts of elder abuse to the public policy implications as well as to the types of interventions available for working with this population.
Eliminating Violence against Children (pdf)
"Jointly produced by UNICEF and the Inter-Parliamentary Union, this handbook describes measures parliamentarians can take to end violence against children: they can legislate, oversee government activities, allocate financial resources and, as leaders in their nations and communities, raise awareness of issues."
Emerging issues in domestic/family violence research
"This paper presents an overview of the key emerging issues in Australian domestic and family violence research in the context of gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and intersex communities; the elderly; those with disabilities; people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds; Indigenous communities; homelessness; the impact on children; and issues around perpetrator programs."
Fact Sheet: Domestic Violence and Pregnancy (pdf)
"Highlights the prevalence, risks, and lethality of violence against pregnant women."
Facts: Intimate Partner Violence for the World Report on Violence and Health
"Describes the global epidemic of IPV in the following categories: The Extent of the Problem; The Consequences of Intimate Partner Violence; What are the Risk Factors for Intimate Partner Violence?; & What Can be Done to Prevent Intimate Partner Violence?"
Family and Intimate Partner Homicide Virginia, 2007 (pdf)
The first report to analyze fatal cases of intimate-partner and family violence in the state of Virginia over a nine-year period. Risk factors, specific populations, and other findings are discussed.
Family Violence Risk Assessment and Risk Management Framework (pdf)
Developed by independent experts and Victorian service providers, the framework includes three practical guides on identifying and assessing family violence, and includes case studies.
Family violence risk assessment: review of international research (pdf)
This literature review presents an overview of the international research and best practice literature on family violence risk assessment from over the last decade. It was undertaken for the New Zealand Police to inform any changes they may wish to make to their own family violence risk assessment processes. For that reason it has an emphasis on the literature as it relates to Police organizations, rather than other sectors such as healthcare providers who also have a role in family violence risk assessment.
Overviews from frequently asked violence against elderly persons.
Farsi Lifetime Spiral of Gender Violence (pdf)
Farsi translation of the Lifetime Spiral of Gender Violence. It locates a range of abuses and abusers in the lives of girls and women, revealing patterns of victimization and perpetration.
Findings About Partner Violence From the Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Development Study
July 1999. This NIJ Research in Brief examines the continual nature of antisocial behavior from adolescence through adulthood in an attempt to explain partner violence. Results are derived from a longitudinal study of a birth cohort from Dunedin, New Zealand, conducted over the past 21 years. Among the findings discussed are that partner violence can be linked to a variety of mental illnesses, family adversity, lack of schooling, and conviction of various crimes.
Fourth National Incidence Study of Child Abuse and Neglect (NIS-4)
"The NIS is a congressionally mandated, periodic research effort to assess the incidence of child abuse and neglect in the United States. The NIS gathers information from multiple sources to estimate the number of children who are abused or neglected, providing information about the nature and severity of the maltreatment, the characteristics of the children, perpetrators, and families, and the extent of changes in the incidence or distribution of child maltreatment since the time of the last national incidence study."
"This study estimated the frequency and correlates of intimate partner violence by type (physical, sexual, battering, or emotional abuse) among women seeking primary health care. Efforts to universally screen for partner violence and to effectively intervene to reduce the impact of such violence on women’s lives must be a public health priority."
Girls Count: A Global Investment & Action Agenda
"This report describes why and how to initiate effective investments that will give adolescent girls in developing countries a full and equal chance for rewarding lives and livelihoods."
A new report from the National Coalition for the Homeless (NCH) contains case descriptions of each attack that includes sexual assault. The report notes that because crimes committed against homeless persons often go unreported, the actual numbers of non-lethal attacks is likely much higher. Rapes and sexual assaults also tend to go unreported. The report recommends that state legislatures add homeless persons as a “protected class” to hate crime legislation, and encourages police trainings so law enforcement officers will better understand homelessness and how to prevent hate crimes.
HIV Positive Women Report More Partner Violence (pdf)
The paper examines violence as a risk factor for HIV infection that must be addressed through multilevel prevention approaches.
Honor Killings: An Islamic Perspective
Discussion of honor killings how the prevailing view that devalues and belittles women is derived from sociocultural factors that are justified by a distorted and erroneous interpretation of religion, especially of Islam.
Human Rights Dialogue: Violence Against Women (pdf)
This special edition of the magazine explores how women's advocates are challenging the public/private divide, the cultural and religious objections to granting women's rights, and the common blindness to linkages between violence against women and the deprivation of other rights, specifically economic and social rights.
Immigrant South Asian Women at Greater Risk for Injury From Intimate Partner Violence (pdf)
"Factors related to immigration may place South Asian immigrant women at increased risk for intimate partner violence. The purpose of the current study was to assess the relations between immigration-related factors and intimate partner violence among a sample of South Asian women residing in the United States."
Immigrant Women and Domestic Violence
This special collection highlights the common experiences of immigrant women who are in abusive relationships, the legal protections and public benefits available, and practices and suggestions for increasing the effectiveness of services provided to immigrant women.
Indigenous perpetrators of violence: Prevalence and risk factors for offending
"This report presents results of research into victimisation of, and offending by, Indigenous people. The report draws attention to the need to investigate the specifics of different forms of violent offending, the relationship between victims and offenders and the location and nature of different community settings."
Interpersonal violence and alcohol (pdf)
This report by the World Health Organization presents research on the relation between alcohol and violence. It suggests that alcohol is a situational determinant which increases the risk of most types of violence. Hazardous and harmful use of alcohol has also been shown to be an important consequence of experiencing or witnessing most forms of violence, but especially child maltreatment and intimate partner violence.
Intersecting Inequalities: Immigrant Women of Colour, Violence and Health Care
This report focuses on racialized immigrant women who have experienced intimate violence and their access to the health care system. The paper reviews current literature and identifies key variables that contribute to immigrant women's vulnerability to violence and lack of access to health care. The response of health care service providers is also examined.
Intersection of Child Abuse and Children's Exposure to Domestic Violence
"This review addresses research on the overlap in physical child abuse and domestic violence, the prediction of child outcomes, and resilience in children exposed to family violence."
Intimate Partner Homicide (pdf)
This issue of the NIJ Journal focuses on a single important topic—homicides committed by the victim’s spouse or other intimate partner. Women are most likely to be the victim in these cases of intimate partner homicide. An overview on page 2 reflects the range of ideas the authors discuss, from aspects of the problem (such as risk factors and the effect of alcohol abuse) to possible steps toward reducing the number of incidents (such as the effectiveness of domestic violence services and the use of fatality reviews). The articles shed new light on a type of crime that continues to have serious social consequences and to present challenges to law enforcement and health providers.
Intimate Partner Homicide Prevention
This Special Collection explores the most tragic consequence of domestic violence and offers a variety of tools and information towards its prevention. The collection outlines the scope of the problem, provides tools and strategies for assessing danger, resources and much more.
This resource was developed by VAWnet and the National Resource Center on Domestic Violence, with contributions from the Battered Women’s Justice Project, Washington State Coalition Against Domestic Violence, Florida Coalition Against Domestic Violence, and Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence.
Intimate Partner Violence in China: National Prevalence, Risk Factors and Associated Health Problems
This paper presents the country’s first national estimates of domestic violence. The authors find that sexual jealousy, alcohol consumption, low female contribution to the household income and low socioeconomic status are among a range of factors that make violence more likely.
Intimate Partner Violence in Disadvantaged Neighborhoods (pdf)
This article discusses who is most at risk and details the role that economic policies and employment practices might play in reducing the risk of intimate violence.
"This document describes intimate partner violence (IPV) in immigrant and refugee communities in the United States. The report contains four main sections: background information on the incidence of the problem among immigrant and refugee communities, an overview of the needs and challenges of immigrant and refugee IPV victims and service providers, recommendations for funders, service providers and policy-makers, and lastly a discussion of IPV research and evaluation issues to be addressed in immigrant and refugee communities."
It All Starts At Home: Male Adolescent Violence to Mothers (pdf)
This research examined male adolescents' abuse and violence to their sole parent mothers living in Australia. The research highlighted cultural, intra-generational and intergenerational issues relating to family violence, as well as the significant and lasting cumulative impact on the women, where the abuse was experienced from the women's ex-partners and their sons.
Just Die Quietly: Domestic Violence and Women's Vulnerability to HIV in Uganda
The accounts in this report reveal that Ugandan women are becoming infected with HIV, and will eventually die of AIDS, because the state is failing to protect them from domestic violence. The report informs us that HIV/AIDS programs focusing on fidelity, abstinence, and condom use do not account for the ways in which domestic violence inhibits women's control over sexual matters in marriage. The report urges the Ugandan government to enact domestic violence legislation, and to make women's health, physical integrity, and equal rights in marriage a central focus of AIDS programming.
Korean Lifetime Spiral of Gender Violence (pdf)
"Korean translation of the Lifetime Spiral of Gender Violence. The spiral implicitly locates a range of abuses in the lives of girls and women, revealing patterns of victimization and perpetration. The Lifetime Spiral is designed to be used by everyone to identify histories of violence in their own lives or in the lives of family and friends."
Lifetime Spiral of Gender Violence (pdf)
"The Lifetime Spiral implicitly locates a range of abuses in the lives of girls and women, revealing patterns of victimization and perpetration. The Lifetime Spiral is designed to be used by everyone to identify histories of violence in their own lives or in the lives of family and friends."
"A study conducted through in-depth interviews with 71 women aged 18-49 who had a history of intimate partner violence. Findings include male reproductive control which encompasses pregnancy-promoting behaviors as well as control and abuse during pregnancy in an attempt to influence the pregnancy outcome. Recommendations include assessing for male reproductive control among women seeking reproductive health services, including antenatal care, so that health care providers may be able to provide education, care, and counseling to help women protect their reproductive health and physical safety."
Mobilizing Religious Communities to Respond to Gender-based Violence and HIV: A Training Manual (pdf)
The first in a series of two manuals aimed at raising awareness and educating religious leaders and communities about gender-based violence. The training manual equips religious communities with tools to deepen their awareness and understanding of gender-based violence and its link to HIV and proposes faith-based activities on the subject.
Multi-Agency Practice Guidelines: Handling Cases of Forced Marriage (pdf)
"This report lists warning signs and appropriate actions for teachers and other school employees to take when they suspect a forced marriage of a child is imminent. The report also contains guidelines for police officers, health care professionals, and social workers, and provides general information on good practices when caring for victims of forced marriage."
Myths and Facts about Domestic Violence (pdf)
This document lists some common myths about the nature and causes of domestic violence.
National Elder Abuse Incidence Study - 1998 (pdf)
The first report of its kind in the U.S., this incidence report details the definitions of elder abuse, the characteristics of victims and perpetrators of elder abuse, and the findings of this survey project.
National Trends in Intimate Partner Homicides: Explaining Declines in Canada, 1976 to 2001
"In the past decade, research has begun to identify factors that may be contributing to declines in spousal homicide. The authors address two gaps in the Canadian literature: (a) the documentation of trends, including subgroup variations, and (b) the identification of factors that may be associated with declines. Results indicate that shifts in relative employment and divorce rates appear to be associated with declining rates for women, whereas shifts in men's education and divorce rates appear to be associated with declining rates of spousal homicide for men."
New York City Domestic Violence Fatality Review Committee Annual Report 2008 (pdf)
This report describes family-related homicides that occurred in New York City between 2002 and 2007. Includes key findings, risk factors, and action steps in response to findings.
Overcoming Domestic Violence: A Global Challenge (pdf)
"The project is part of the World Council of Churches' decade on Overcoming Violence. The report contains seven chapters, beginning with the author’s recommendations from the project. The rest of the chapters place domestic violence within an international human rights framework, discuss domestic violence’s roots, its effects on development, relevant international law milestones, practical strategies culled from project experiences around the world, and the importance of monitoring development projects to ensure women’s full participation."
"This report includes a discussion of primary prevention of intimate partner violence, promising approaches to environmental/norms change, an examination of IPV primary prevention within immigrant communities, recommended actions to building momentum for primary prevention of IPV, and immediate next steps. The report is designed as a catalyst and call to action, to give a sense of direction and raise some issues for consideration."
Police Family Violence Fact Sheet
"Highlights statistics of Police Officers' personal (not-job related) involvement in domestic violence situations. The fact sheet mentions several studies have found that 40% of police officer families experience domestic violence."
Practical Implications of Current Domestic Violence Research Part I: Law Enforcement (pdf)
The author discusses the problem of domestic violence and the issues that emerge among law enforcement. This document also reviews the characteristics of many perpetrators and the victims they choose. Be sure to check out parts 2 & 3 which are linked from MINCAVA as well.
Prevalence and Predictors of Physical Partner Abuse Among Mexican American Women (pdf)
"This study determined the lifetime prevalence of physical abuse by a current partner among women of Mexican origin and assessed factors associated with abuse."
Prevalence of Intimate Partner Violence Against Women in Regions of Brazil (pdf)
"This article analyzes the results from the 'WHO Multi-country Study on Women’s Health and Domestic Violence,' on the prevalence of intimate partner violence against women in Brazil."
Preventing violence and reducing its impact: How development agencies can help (pdf)
This document makes the case for increased attention on the impact of violence on development by international development agencies. A key aim is to stimulate dialogue on the role of international development agencies in the prevention of violence globally, and ultimately to increase investment in a commonly agreed set of applied violence prevention strategies. The primary audience for this document is policy-makers, high-level planners, and others in the international development field.
Primary Prevention and Adult Domestic Violence (pdf)
This paper briefly examines the available research and practice literature on frameworks for understanding domestic violence, risk and protective factors for adult domestic violence, and the few efforts geared toward primary prevention in this domain. It mentions secondary and tertiary prevention efforts in this field but does not review them. It ends by pointing to program and policy directions for future primary prevention efforts.
Progress of the World's Women 2002, Volume 2: Gender Equality and the Millennium Development Goals
This is the second edition of a biennial publication to track and measure the world's commitment to gender equality. It examines progress for women, or the lack of it, in education, literacy, non-agricultural wage employment and parliamentary representation.
Promising Practices with Men Who Batter (pdf)
In this report to the King County Domestic Violence Council, the author provides a literature review of promising practices with men who batter, ranging from historical to current approaches. Key research findings on batterer intervention programs(BIP) are provided, including current concerns with BIPs. Finally, current gaps in services are identified and recommendations are given.
Providing Services to Immigrant Women in Atlantic Canada (pdf)
"This article describes some of the findings of research conducted in 2005 and 2006, which found that being an immigrant was a factor not only in immigrant women’s experiences of violence in Atlantic Canada, but also in their access to support services. Immigrant women and the professionals who provide services to them describe some of the barriers they face and conclude that fully funded and coordinated prevention and intervention programs and services to immigrant women are needed in Atlantic Canada."
Psychological Abuse: A Discussion Paper (pdf)
"This paper is a review of research on psychological abuse in interpersonal and family relationships including in settings such as long-term care residences.The paper presents research findings on the personal, economic and health related costs of psychological abuse to the individual and to society, and briefly outlines legal recourses for victims. It concludes by exploring ways to recognize and address psychological abuse, while emphasizing the importance of developing holistic approaches "
Punjabi Lifetime Spiral of Gender Violence (pdf)
"Punjabi translation of the Lifetime Spiral of Gender Violence. The spiral implicitly locates a range of abuses in the lives of girls and women, revealing patterns of victimization and perpetration. The Lifetime Spiral is designed to be used by everyone to identify histories of violence in their own lives or in the lives of family and friends."
Risk Factors for Injury to Women from Domestic Violence
This study concluded that women at greatest risk for injury from domestic violence include those with male partners who abuse alcohol or use drugs, are unemployed or intermittently employed, have less than a high-school education, and are former husbands, estranged husbands, or former boyfriends of the women.
Scope of the Problem: Domestic Violence in Asian, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Homes (pdf)
This document provides information on the prevalence rates of domestic violence in the API communities, unique dynamics in families, socio-cultural barriers in getting help, and highlights the need for ethnic diversity and culturally competent programs.
Security Begins at Home (pdf)
The Kosova Women’s Network released the country’s first study on domestic violence, called Security Begins at Home. The report highlights key points such as: what the citizens of Kosovo perceive as domestic violence, the forms and consequences of domestic violence, citizens' response to ending it, and the legal and institutional gaps in addressing it.
Sexual Violence against Asian, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Women (pdf)
This document provides guidelines for advocates on various points of intersection of domestic and sexual violence in the API communities.
Shattered Hearts: The Commercial Sexual Exploitation of American Indian Women and Girls in Minnesota (pdf)
A groundbreaking report released by the Minnesota Indian Women’s Resource Center (MIWRC) highlights the alarming and pervasive sex trafficking of American Indian women and girls in Minnesota. The first comprehensive report of its kind, it highlights risk factors for victims that include poverty, a disproportionate number of American Indian homeless, high incidences of overall sexual assault, Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) and pervasive multi-generational trauma.
Shattered Lives: Homicides, Domestic Violence and Asian Families (pdf)
This report focuses on domestic violence related homicides as a critical issue affecting Asian, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander battered women since 2001. Types of domestic violence related homicides, children as victims, and perpetrator types are discussed. Findings and recommendations are also provided.
Silence is Violence: End the Abuse of Women in Afghanistan (pdf)
A new United Nations (UN) report on women in Afghanistan that focuses on the growing trend of violence and threats against women in public life and rape/sexual violence. The report concludes that these forms of violence are a huge occurrence in the everyday lives of Afghan women and the government has a crucial role in helping to eradicate these harmful practices towards women.
Social Worker's Practice Guide to Domestic Violence (pdf)
A guide created by the Department of Social and Health Services, for social workers working with domestic violence issues in the state of Washington. Includes information on how social workers should work with victims and perpetrators, child assessment of exposure to violence, as well as legal and policy issues in the state.
Starting Smart: How Early Experiences Affect Brain Development
"This report provides a straightforward summary of the interactions between early brain development, childhood emotional experiences and trauma. Drawing from this research, it concludes by making a case for increased services to counter the disadvantages faced by children who experience trauma or neglect."
"This 2008 report provides detailed information on the status of girls in Minnesota. It also serves as a tool for advocates, researchers, and policy makers in developing a set of interventions that will ensure girls’ economic, social, and political equality in the state. "
Substance Abuse and Intimate Partner Violence
This paper discusses the link between substance abuse(SA) and intimate partner violence(IPV), the co-occurrence of SA and IPV, highlight the special role of men’s drunkenness in IPV, examine substance abuse by victims, and briefly present issues related to coordination and integration of SA and IPV services.
Surveillance for Violent Deaths -- National Violent Death Reporting System, 16 States, 2005
"This report summarizes data from CDC's National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS) regarding violent deaths from 16 U.S. states for 2005. Results are reported by sex, age group, race/ethnicity, marital status, location of injury, method of injury, circumstances of injury, and other selected characteristics."
Tagalog Lifetime Spiral of Gender Violence (pdf)
"Tagalog translation of the Lifetime Spiral of Gender Violence. The spiral implicitly locates a range of abuses in the lives of girls and women, revealing patterns of victimization and perpetration. The Lifetime Spiral is designed to be used by everyone to identify histories of violence in their own lives or in the lives of family and friends."
Technological Safety for Domestic Violence Survivors
"Technological tools such as phones, computers, and searchable databases are being used to monitor, harass, and threaten current or former intimate partners. This forum will explore the safety risks and benefits of technology and cover areas of confidentiality, co-location, and data sharing. The host for this forum is Anzala Alozie. Anzala is the Director of Services at the New York State Coalition Against Domestic Violence and provides management of the statewide Domestic & Sexual Violence Hotline, Women of Color Leadership, Economic Justice, Technology Safety, and Training projects."
Technology and Teen Dating Violence (pdf)
This issue brief explains the ways technology can be used as tools of abuse. It offers tips to providers working on safety planning with teens experiencing abuse.
Teen Dating Violence: A Review of Risk Factors and Prevention Efforts (pdf)
This article provides a critical review of the dating violence literature with respect to potential risk factors for both perpetrators and victims and examines the empirical research regarding the effectiveness of prevention and intervention programs targeting teen dating violence. The document also provides recommendations for future research and potential policy implications.
The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of domestic violence among female patients and to identify clinical characteristics that are associated with current domestic violence.
The Facts about Domestic Violence
This fact sheet provides current information and statistics on domestic violence. Information includes a working definition, exploration of how different communities are affected by domestic violence and legal protections for victims of domestic violence.
The Facts On Teen Dating Violence (pdf)
A fact sheet created by FVPF on the prevalence and consequences of teen dating violence.
The Impact of Conflict on Women and Girls in West and Central Africa and the UNICEF response (pdf)
"This first-of-its-kind study by UNICEF on the situation of war-affected girls and women in the region highlights innovative programmes being implemented with partners to address the impact of conflict, and recommends how UNICEF can more proactively champion the rights of girls - particularly adolescent girls."
The prevalence of child abuse and neglect
"A resource sheet that summarizes the current knowledge about the prevalence of child abuse and neglect in Australia. It provides an overview of Australian studies that have estimated the prevalence of the different forms of child maltreatment."
The State of the World's Children 2009 Report
"The State of the World's Children 2009 examines critical issues in maternal and newborn health, underscoring the need to establish a comprehensive continuum of care for mothers, newborns and children. The report outlines the latest paradigms in health programming and policies for mothers and newborns, and explores policies, programmes and partnerships aimed at improving maternal and neonatal health. Africa and Asia are a key focus for this report, which complements the previous year's issue on child survival."
The Structured Decision Making Model: An Evidenced-based Approach to Human Services
Structured Decision Making (SDM) is an evidence-based model designed to help agencies and caseworkers make accurate risk assessments about families and children. A new guide from the Children's Research Center (CRC), a division of the National Council on Crime and Delinquency, reviews the principles of the SDM model and provides updated information on its use in jurisdictions around the country.
Third Milestones of a Global Campaign for Violence Prevention Report 2007 (pdf)
"By 2007, three of the six WHO regional committees had adopted violence prevention resolutions, more than 25 countries had developed reports and/or plans of action on violence and health, and more than 100 officially appointed health ministry focal persons were in place to prevent violence, the report finds.The report offers a five year agenda to follow-up on key recommendations."
Two steps forward, one step back: Community attitudes to violence against women
"Summarizes key findings of the Violence Against Women Community Attitudes Project, undertaken to inform future work to prevent violence against women by improving understanding of how community attitudes contribute to this problem."
UN study on Violence Against Children
"A press release on a new effort to provide a detailed global picture of the nature, extent and causes of violence against children, and propose clear recommendations for action to prevent and reduce such violence. The study focuses on violence against children in five settings: the home and family, schools and educational settings, other institutional settings (orphanages, children in conflict with the law), the community and on the streets, and work situations. "
Using It or Losing It: Men's Construction of Their Violence Towards Their Female Partners
This research used a qualitative methodology to explore, in depth, (1) the way in which men use violence in their intimate relationships, and (2) understand the experience of violence.
VAWnet Mini-Special Collection: Supporting the Women of Haiti
"This collection includes initiatives supporting relief efforts in Haiti, especially those focused on delivering aid to women and responding to those at higher risk for sexual and/or domestic violence."
VAWNet Special Collections: Disaster and Emergency Preparedness and Response
This collection highlights the disproportionate vulnerability of women and children to domestic and sexual violence in disaster and emergency situations. Included in this collection are selected materials and resources -- many gender-informed -- that can be used by domestic and sexual violence organizations to increase their preparedness for and response to major disasters and emergencies. Also included is information developed for victims/survivors of domestic and sexual violence who are concurrently coping with trauma and stress after a natural disaster or major crisis. Special attention has been given to the issues faced by children in these situations.
Vietnamese Lifetime Spiral of Gender Violence (pdf)
Vietnamese translation of the Lifetime Spiral of Gender Violence.
Violence & HIV/AIDS: Violence Against Women and Girls as a Cause and Consequence of HIV/AIDS (pdf)
This report examines the relationship between gender violence and women’s vulnerability to HIV/AIDS. According to the report, women are disproportionately affected by the HIV/AIDS epidemic. They are 1.6 times more likely to contract the virus than men. The report states that violence against women is both a cause and consequence of women living with AIDS.
"Intimate partner violence against immigrant women is at epidemic proportions, but research has only recently begun to address the concern. A review of the legal, medical, and social science research literature reveals little data, but that which exist demonstrate that immigrant women's cultures, contexts, and legal status (a) increase vulnerability for abuse, (b) are used by batterers to control and abuse immigrant women, and (c) create barriers to women seeking and receiving help. Data also reveal that immigrant culture and context offer resiliency factors through which programs and policy can be used to better serve these populations."
Violence Against Women and Girls: A Compendium of Monitoring and Evaluation Indicators (pdf)
"This compendium offers a set of monitoring and evaluation indicators for program managers, organizations, and policy makers working to address violence against women and girls at individual, community, district and national levels in developing countries."
Violence Against Women: Classic Papers
The purpose of this project was to assemble some of the classic works in the field of violence against women so that new generations of students, practitioners, and researchers would have a collective understanding of the work that has shaped the field. Included are commentaries from the original authors, when available, reflecting on why they authored the work when they did and the influence of their work on the field.
Violence Against Women: Identifying Risk Factors (pdf)
This NIJ Research in Brief combines the results taken from two studies, one of which followed college women and men for 4 years, and the other, which followed low-income, mostly black women who had been victims of childhood sexual abuse. Each study found that child sexual abuse alone was a risk factor only when combined with adolescent sexual abuse. Although each study examined a narrowly defined population, taken together, both studies came to remarkably similar conclusions.
Violence in the Lives of Children (pdf)
"This data brief from Child Trends reviews data on the types of violence experienced by U.S. children, including exposure to violence through media to abuse by parents and peers. Differences by age, gender, and race/ethnicity are discussed along with priorities for filling gaps in the data that is available on this topic."
Visibility Through Data: Health Information for Urban American Indian and Alaska Native Communities (pdf)
"This report summarizes information for providers working toward improving the health and well-being of urban American Indian and Alaska Native communities and is a resource that highlights specific health issues facing this population. "
When Violence Hits Home: How Economics and Neighborhood Play a Role (pdf)
The study reveals that the incidence of violence in the home is exacerbated by economic factors apart from the characteristics of the individuals involved. Researchers found that economic problems or distresses such as losing one’s job and specific circumstances such as the length of a relationship interact with the kind of community in which people live to influence the offenders and victims of intimate violence. The study sheds light on the connections between intimate violence and personal and economic well-being and on how the type of neighborhood in which women live may influence them to stay in or leave abusive relationships.
Who Answers to Women? Gender & Accountability: Progress of the World's Women 2008/2009 (pdf)
"This report demonstrates that when gender-responsive accountability systems are put in place both nationally and internationally, the Millennium Development Goals and other international commitments to women will be met."
WHO Multi-country Study on Women's Health and Domestic Violence – Country Findings: Brazil
"This fact sheet provides information on the methods and main findings of the study, with regard to the phenomenon of intimate partner violence against women in Brazil. Data on sexual abuse and non-partner physical and sexual violence is also included."
Why Does Abuse Happen in Later Life?
"This forum explores the issue of elder abuse and is hosted by Diana Christen, Executive Director of the Family Life Center, a Certified Domestic/Sexual Violence Center and Emergency Shelter in Bunnell, Florida. Diana has specialized in the prevention of domestic/sexual violence for over 10 years."
Widening Our Lens (pdf)
"This brochure presents a comprehensive strategy to address the impact of child maltreatment, interpersonal, and family violence on youth."
Women and Health: Today’s Evidence, Tomorrow’s Agenda (pdf)
"This report reviews evidence on the health issues that particularly affect girls and women throughout their life course. This report uses currently available data to draw attention to the consequences and costs of failing to address health issues at appropriate points in their lives."
Women in Mongolia: Mapping Progress under Transition
This publication tells of Mongolian women's experiences in the context of the political and economic transformation of their country. It shares reports of women encouraged to bear many children, inadequate health care or resources, and high rates of maternal mortality. Recommendations informed through case studies are presented for improving their social and economic status and increasing their political participation.
This report shares findings garnered from a series of interviews held with a diverse group of women from throughout the Gulf region. In telling their stories, it provides an analysis of women's increased vulnerability during times of natural disasters and lays out policy recommendations that pinpoint how best to address those needs in the wake of this disaster, and in anticipation of the next.
Women's Experiences of Abuse as a Risk Factor for Incarceration
This VAWnet document describes how violence perpetrated against women and girls increases their risk of arrest and incarceration through the intersections of interpersonal and structural violence.
Working with Young Men Who Batter: Current Strategies and New Directions
This article offers an overview of the recent juvenile batterer intervention programs. It identifies risk factors for teen dating violence perpetration as described by the literature and considers the utility of these findings, describes efforts to prevent re-offenses by juvenile perpetrators of domestic violence, discusses several shortcomings inherent in post-crisis intervention, and outlines current challenges within the field.
World Report on Violence against Children
"This book addresses all violence against children within the family, schools, alternative care institutions and detention facilities, places where children work and communities. It lists the relevant international and national legal instruments and standards. It also describes the nature and impact of all forms of violence, indicating possible risk and causal factors. Finally, and most important, based on existing evidence and concrete examples, it provides detailed recommendation on measures to be taken to enhance the protection of children from violence."
This handbook contains information that will help you learn about: domestic violence and its impact on adolescents; evaluating risk and safety planning for victims of domestic violence; coordinated justice responses to domestic violence and the role of juvenile custody programs and probation; risk assessment and reduction with adolescent perpetrators of intimate partner and family violence; promising practices for adolescent perpetrators of intimate partner and family violence; and resources on domestic violence for adolescent victims and perpetrators.
Rural
"This report provides an analysis of patterns of human rights abuses against women who are exposed to the risk of or are already living with HIV in rural contexts of widespread poverty and unemployment."
This manual provides suggestions and guidance on how to organize projects at improving services and eliminating barriers for ensuring safety for battered rural immigrant women.
Domestic Violence: A Primary Care Issue for Rural Women (pdf)
This article underscores the role of a primary health care provider for rural women who experience domestic violence.
This is part of a series that was created through a collaboration of the Vermont Network Against Domestic and Sexual Violence, the Vermont Department for Children and Families and the Vermont Center for Crime Victim Services. Part VI discusses actual and perceived conflicts of interest when service providers act in more than one role or relationship, providing recommendations on how to address these dilemmas/questions.
Socioeconomic Factors and Processes Associated With Domestic Violence in Rural Bangladesh
This document examines the types and severity of domestic violence, and explores the pathways through which women's social and economic circumstances may influence their vulnerability to violence in marriage in rural Bangladesh.
This study examined the experiences of domestic violence of Hispanic and Anglo women recruited at a domestic violence shelter. It documented and compared the domestic violence experiences of women living in rural communities, examined the various correlates of the domestic violence, and evaluated the formal services offered to study participants by the local shelter, courts, and law enforcement over a 1-year period.
This study is based on qualitative research undertaken in a small community in the province of Punjab in Pakistan. The research aims to deepen understanding of male attitudes and perceptions on gender based violence and their link to masculine identity.
Safety planning
Advocacy Beyond Leaving: Helping Battered Women in Contact With Current or Former Partners (pdf)
A guide for domestic violence advocates providing information on improving outreach and responses to domestic violence victims who are in contact with their partners or children’s fathers. This guide addresses how to identify safety strategies, find resources and to know what to say when a victim’s focus and goals are to remain in contact, remain in the relationship or to improve their children’s relationship with their father.
Battered Immigrant Mexican Women’s Perspectives Regarding Abuse and Help-Seeking (pdf)
"A qualitative, pilot study employing in-depth ethno-graphic interviews was conducted to examine perceptions and attitudes towards abuse and the help-seeking behaviors of a sample of ten battered immigrant Mexican women. Findings indicated that participants’ attitudes about seeking help were influenced more by cultural factors (e.g., gender-role expectations, famialism) than by psycho-social stressors (e.g., immigrant status, financial dependency). Suggestions for further research and intervention with this population and a model of internal and external determinants of help-seeking behavior are presented."
This article explains the importance of coordingating system change activities in child welfare agencies with many collaborative activities."
Collaborating for Family Safety: Results From the Greenbook Multisite Evaluation
"This special issue of the Journal of Interpersonal Violence features results from a multisite developmental evaluation of best practices at the intersection of child maltreatment and adult domestic violence."
This article explains the importance of collaborative efforts to responding to families experiencing domestic violence and child maltreatment. The Greenbook Initiative provided a framework for developing a multisystem collaborative approach to working with families.
Community Policing and Domestic Violence: Five Promising Practices (pdf)
This document provides a background and history of community policing and outlines promising practices in the area of collaboration between police and communities. Case studies from Chicago, Marin County, Duluth, and London are also presented.
DID YOU KNOW YOUR RELATIONSHIP AFFECTS YOUR HEALTH? (pdf)
A tri-fold patient safety card which contains a checklist to assess safety, healthy/unhealthy relationships, and children's exposure to violence. The card also provides resources and information on how to get help.
DID YOU KNOW YOUR RELATIONSHIP AFFECTS YOUR HEALTH? (Spanish) (pdf)
A tri-fold patient safety card which contains a checklist to assess safety, healthy/unhealthy relationships, and children's exposure to violence. The card also provides resources and information on how to get help.
Domestic Violence in Vietnamese Communities (pdf)
A fact sheet that provides statistics on domestic violence in Vietnamese communities, a selection of translated materials for victims and service providers, as well as directories for international resources.
Final Report on the project entitled: Animal Welfare and Domestic Violence (pdf)
"This study assesses animal maltreatment in samples of women seeking safety at shelters and community samples of women. Women in shelter were much more likely (54%) to report partners' hurting or killing of their pets than women not in shelter (3.5%)."
Leave or Stay?: Battered Women's Decision After Intimate Partner Violence
"Using data from the Domestic Violence Experience in Omaha, Nebraska, a discrete-time hazard model was employed to examine a woman's decision to leave or stay based on four factors: financial independence, witness of parental violence, psychological factors, and the police response to the domestic violence call."
"A study conducted through in-depth interviews with 71 women aged 18-49 who had a history of intimate partner violence. Findings include male reproductive control which encompasses pregnancy-promoting behaviors as well as control and abuse during pregnancy in an attempt to influence the pregnancy outcome. Recommendations include assessing for male reproductive control among women seeking reproductive health services, including antenatal care, so that health care providers may be able to provide education, care, and counseling to help women protect their reproductive health and physical safety."
Meeting Survivors' Needs: A Multi-State Study of Domestic Violence Shelter Experiences
This study provides important insights into the role that shelters play in survivors' efforts to escape violence and abuse. Results capture the voices and experiences of over 3,400 shelter residents in 215 programs across eight states. The website includes links to the press statement announcing the study's release, the Research in Brief, the Executive Summary, and the full report.
Model Protocol on Safety Planning for Domestic Violence Victims with Disabilities
The goal of this protocol and recommended policies is to support domestic violence agencies: to increase their safety planning services to people with disabilities and advance self-determination for people with disabilities by offering safety planning that is cognizant of environmental and social barriers. This protocol builds on the existing safety planning knowledge of domestic violence programs. Basic safety planning strategies will not be reviewed in this document.
Model Protocol on Working with Friends and Family of Domestic Violence Victims (pdf)
This protocol includes examples of programs that can engage friends and families in dealing with ending domestic violence.
Model Protocols on Working with Battered Women and Their Teenage Boys in Shelter
This model protocol is useful for domestic violence shelters who do not set age limits for male children in shelter. It is equally useful for those who critically examine safety of all children and women in shelter.
Preventing and Responding to Teen Dating Violence
This special collection emphasizes collaborative and multilevel approaches to the prevention of, and response to, teen dating violence. It draws on the work of many organizations and organizes the resources on TDV prevention and responses by different populations.
This document provides guidelines for research on domestic violence against women.
Responding to Domestic Violence: Tools for Mental Health Providers (pdf)
The information in this toolkit is provided to help prepare mental health providers on how to be responsive to domestic violence. Besides information on providing trauma-informed services, there are examples of intake assessments,suggestions for documentation of domestic violence in mental health records, danger assessments and safety planning checklists.
Safety and Accountability: The Underpinnings of a Just Justice System
This paper first briefly describes domestic violence. It then discusses the constructs of safety and accountability. Finally it examines how court administration and the judiciary might fully respond to these underpinings of justice for adult and child victims of domestic violence.
Safety Plan for a Friend, Relative, or Co-Worker Who Is Being Abused by an Intimate Partner (pdf)
This safety plan helps those who wish to provide support to someone in a domestic violence situation with the tools to do so in an effective way. Provides safety planning advice and resources.
Safety Planning for Pets (pdf)
This document is a collection of materials compiled by the National Link Coalition to help abuse victims include the welfare of their animals when making their plans to protect themselves and their family.
Safety Planning in the Workplace: Protecting Yourself and Your Job (pdf)
Straightforward information for survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and/or stalking on protecting yourself at work. Information on the various aspects of safety planning are discussed.
Safety Planning With Teens (pdf)
An issue brief created by Break the Cycle for those working with teens on safety planning issues.
"This free advanced domestic violence curriculum outlines safely preparing for and managing effective meetings, engaging parents around domestic violence issues, assessing the impact of children’s exposure to domestic violence, and making decisions and plans to increase safety for children and battered mothers."
Technological Safety for Domestic Violence Survivors
"Technological tools such as phones, computers, and searchable databases are being used to monitor, harass, and threaten current or former intimate partners. This forum will explore the safety risks and benefits of technology and cover areas of confidentiality, co-location, and data sharing. The host for this forum is Anzala Alozie. Anzala is the Director of Services at the New York State Coalition Against Domestic Violence and provides management of the statewide Domestic & Sexual Violence Hotline, Women of Color Leadership, Economic Justice, Technology Safety, and Training projects."
The Danger Assessment is a tool that was developed to help determine the level of danger an abused woman has of being killed by her intimate partner. There are two parts to the tool: a calendar and a 20-item scoring instrument. The original danger assessment is available in English, Spanish, Portuguese and French (Canadian).
The Greatest Escape: Special for Victims of Domestic Violence
Includes things to think about and resources for help as a survivor of domestic violence plans to leave their abusive relationship. Also available in Spanish.
The Greenbook Initiative Final Evaluation Report (pdf)
"The Greenbook national evaluation results are presented in three reports. The Greenbook Demonstration Initiative: Process Evaluation Report: Phase 1 focused on the planning and goal setting phase of the Greenbook initiative in the sites. This final evaluation report assesses the extent to which the Greenbook implementation activities facilitated cross-system and within system change and practice in the child welfare agencies, dependency courts, and domestic violence service providers."
The Probation Response to Supervision of Women Who Are Abused
This Violence Against Women Online Resources commissioned document summarizes the existing knowledge on probation's supervision of women who are abused. The document provides specific information on the role of probation in response to domestic violence cases, safety strategies for women who are abused during probation supervision, and considerations for court ordered referrals that are dangerous.
This booklet, designed by the West Virginia Bureau for Public Health, helps young adults understand the dynamics of healthy relationships; the signs of controlling relationships; the strategies for dealing with dating violence; and the resources available to end the cycle of violence.
When Battered Women Stay... Advocacy Beyond Leaving
"This paper raises the key issues, questions, and dilemmas regarding advocacy with battered women who stay in their relationships. It discusses the limitations of safety strategies for leaving, and frames the issues central to the expansion of advocacy beyond leaving, including: 1) safety planning and advocacy with victims who stay; 2) ending violent and controlling behavior; and 3) knowing what children need to be OK."
This handbook contains information that will help you learn about: domestic violence and its impact on adolescents; evaluating risk and safety planning for victims of domestic violence; coordinated justice responses to domestic violence and the role of juvenile custody programs and probation; risk assessment and reduction with adolescent perpetrators of intimate partner and family violence; promising practices for adolescent perpetrators of intimate partner and family violence; and resources on domestic violence for adolescent victims and perpetrators.
Substance abuse
Assessment and evaluation of men who batter women
"Reviews research on characteristics of batterers and encourages ethnically and culturally sensitive approaches to assessment that are to plan effective interventions. Includes considerations regarding assessments for substance abuse, homicide, and more."
California Batterer Intervention Systems Study
This study on batterer intervention programs in the state of California encompasses 5 counties, 53 batterer intervention programs that provide client data, and over 1,000 men enrolled in those programs. The study found that the individual characteristics of the offenders, and not the program they were enrolled in nor the features of the specific court they were sentenced in, were the strongest predictors of outcomes.
"Abuse studies from the author’s laboratory, studies of children in orphanages who lacked emotional contact, and a large number of animal deprivation and enrichment studies point to the need for children and young nonhuman mammals to have both stable emotional attachments with and touch from primary adult caregivers, and spontaneous interactions with peers. If these connections are lacking, brain development both of caring behavior and cognitive capacities is damaged in a lasting fashion. The effects of the childhood environment, favorable or unfavorable, interact with all the processes of neurodevelopment."
Childhood Sex Abuse Increases Risk for Drug Dependence in Adult Women
"The article briefly discusses the data results gathered from interviews of women revealing that those who experienced any type of sexual abuse in their childhood were roughly three times more likely than unabused girls to report drug dependence as adults."
Compiled by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, this page offers answers to frequently asked questions on common date rape drugs, how to identify them and the effects of each. Also offers useful tips on how to protect yourself from being a victim, and what to do if you've been drugged.
Drug-Facilitated Rape: Looking for the Missing Pieces (pdf)
"Describes rape-facilitating drugs and what is known about how often these drugs are used, efforts to reduce drug-facilitated rape, and specific strategies needed to respond including investigation policies and suggestions of future research."
Engaging Boys and Men in Gender Transformation: The Group Education Manual (pdf)
"This manual offers trainers an array of participatory experiential exercises to reach men (and their partners), exploring gender socialization and its impact on HIV prevention and care. Piloted in Ethiopia, Namibia, South Africa and Tanzania, the manual is designed to assist trainers in developing curricula to work with men and boys on gender, HIV and AIDS issues."
Family Violence Prevention and Health Practice Winter 2010 Issue
This issue includes topics such as dating violence, recent domestic and sexual violence related research, and the intersection between domestic violence, poverty, substance abuse, and mental health.
"This study estimated the frequency and correlates of intimate partner violence by type (physical, sexual, battering, or emotional abuse) among women seeking primary health care. Efforts to universally screen for partner violence and to effectively intervene to reduce the impact of such violence on women’s lives must be a public health priority."
Implementing Evidence-Based Practice in Treatment Foster Care (pdf)
The guide highlights valuable information, references, resources, and tools for implementing Evidence-based Practices (EBPs) in Treatment Foster Care (TFC) service settings. The Resource Guide identifies specific models, interventions, and tools that TFC providers can use to deliver effective services to the children, youth, and families in their care. It also provides “how-to” information to help TFC providers successfully implement desired EBPs in their programs.
Intergenerational Transmission of Partner Violence: A 20-Year Prospective Study (pdf)
An unselected sample of 543 children was followed over 20 years to test the independent effects of parenting, exposure to domestic violence between parents (ETDV), maltreatment, adolescent disruptive behavior disorders, and emerging adult substance abuse disorders (SUDs) on the risk of violence to and from an adult partner.
Interpersonal and Physical Dating Violence among Teens (pdf)
This Focus Report from the National Council on Crime and Delinquency finds that girls exposed to interpersonal violence are more likely to be exposed to other forms of violence, show a greater propensity for unsafe sexual activity, and a higher incidence of substance abuse and suicide than either boys or non-abused girls. The report also offers recommendations for primary prevention programs.
Interpersonal violence and alcohol (pdf)
This report by the World Health Organization presents research on the relation between alcohol and violence. It suggests that alcohol is a situational determinant which increases the risk of most types of violence. Hazardous and harmful use of alcohol has also been shown to be an important consequence of experiencing or witnessing most forms of violence, but especially child maltreatment and intimate partner violence.
Interpersonal Violence and Alcohol and Other Drug Use
This 2008 updated article presents facts about the interaction between alcohol and drug use and violence affecting colleges and universities. This site also provides a list of resources for more information on this topic.
Intimate Partner Homicide (pdf)
This issue of the NIJ Journal focuses on a single important topic—homicides committed by the victim’s spouse or other intimate partner. Women are most likely to be the victim in these cases of intimate partner homicide. An overview on page 2 reflects the range of ideas the authors discuss, from aspects of the problem (such as risk factors and the effect of alcohol abuse) to possible steps toward reducing the number of incidents (such as the effectiveness of domestic violence services and the use of fatality reviews). The articles shed new light on a type of crime that continues to have serious social consequences and to present challenges to law enforcement and health providers.
Intimate Partner Violence and Healthy People 2010 Fact Sheet (pdf)
This paper draws statistics from a growing body of research that has linked intimate partner violence (IPV) to many of the leading health indicators defined in the federal Healthy People 2010 initiative. The Healthy People 2010 Leading Health Indicators covered in this fact sheet include: Overweight and Obesity, Tobacco Use, Substance Abuse, Responsible Sexual Behavior, Mental Health, Injury and Violence, Immunization, and Access to Health Care.
Intimate Partner Violence in China: National Prevalence, Risk Factors and Associated Health Problems
This paper presents the country’s first national estimates of domestic violence. The authors find that sexual jealousy, alcohol consumption, low female contribution to the household income and low socioeconomic status are among a range of factors that make violence more likely.
Risk Factors for Injury to Women from Domestic Violence
This study concluded that women at greatest risk for injury from domestic violence include those with male partners who abuse alcohol or use drugs, are unemployed or intermittently employed, have less than a high-school education, and are former husbands, estranged husbands, or former boyfriends of the women.
Substance Abuse Among Southeast Asians in the U.S.: Implications for Practice and Research
"The literature on Asian-American substance use has shown a general increase in consumption and related problems due, in part, to the effects of acculturation toward U.S. drinking norms. Southeast Asians arc the most recent of Asian groups to come to the U.S., and have done so following an immigration and refugee experience that was among the most traumatic in recent memory resulting in significant levels of psychosocial distress. The combined influences of mental health disorders, which frequently co-occur with substance abuse, and acculturation pressures suggest that a significant increase in substance abuse problems may be in progress for Southeast Asian immigrants. The current article outlines the literature on substance abuse among Vietnamese, Cambodians and Laotians in the U.S., and makes tentative recommendations for assessment, treatment and future research."
Substance Abuse and Intimate Partner Violence
This paper discusses the link between substance abuse(SA) and intimate partner violence(IPV), the co-occurrence of SA and IPV, highlight the special role of men’s drunkenness in IPV, examine substance abuse by victims, and briefly present issues related to coordination and integration of SA and IPV services.
Substance Abuse and Woman Abuse by Male Partners
This piece explores the overlap between substance abuse and battering. The author examines various perspectives regarding the relationship between substance abuse and violence, explores research on substance abuse by batterers, and discusses substance abuse by battered women. Includes recommendations for improving interventions with batterers who also abuse substances.
Substance Abuse Treatment, Prevention, and Policy (pdf)
"This article discusses the results of a study and concludes that substance abuse treatment programs should incorporate violence exposure questions into clinical use as a matter of policy."
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has released a new toolkit which is designed to help continue the survival of Grassroots Community-Based organizations concerned about continuing critical services for people affected by substance abuse and mental health disorders.
The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of domestic violence among female patients and to identify clinical characteristics that are associated with current domestic violence.
Working with Young Men Who Batter: Current Strategies and New Directions
This article offers an overview of the recent juvenile batterer intervention programs. It identifies risk factors for teen dating violence perpetration as described by the literature and considers the utility of these findings, describes efforts to prevent re-offenses by juvenile perpetrators of domestic violence, discusses several shortcomings inherent in post-crisis intervention, and outlines current challenges within the field.
Teen dating violence
2010 State Law Report Cards on Teen Dating Violence
A 2010 State-by-State Teen Dating Violence Report Card from Break The Cycle. Includes recommendations for improving state laws and policies to better protect victims, changes in the laws that affect teens experiencing abuse, and a revised scoring system that better assesses the impact of state laws on teens seeking protection orders.
A Development Approach to Working with Teen Victims (pdf)
This issue brief discusses the need for service providers to understand adolescent development in order to effectively provide interventions for teen victims of abuse.
A Guide to Addressing Teen Dating Violence and Sexual Assault in a School Setting (pdf)
"This guide details schools' responsibility to take a leadership role to prevent and respond to teen dating and sexual violence in schools and in the community. While the information is specific to California, much can be applied nationally."
Additional Scripts for Clinic Assessment (pdf)
This document is created for healthcare professionals and provides a series of scripted questions and responses when working with victims of violence. The information is intended to help communicate all the information needed to give to a patient as well as responding to immediate safety issues and making referrals.
An Evaluation of Safe Dates, an Adolescent Dating Violence Prevention Program (pdf)
This paper presents the results of a program focused on preventing violence among teenage dating partners. Decreased violence was perpetrated against a dating partner for those who participated in the program compared to a control group.
Balancing Obligations: Serving Teen Victims and Mandated Reporting of Statutory Rape (pdf)
This issue brief addresses the importance of preserving confidentiality while working with teen victims of abuse, at the same time fulfilling the service provider's legal duties.
Domestic Violence and Birth Control Sabotage: A Report from the Teen Parent Project
This study explores to what extent pregnancy among low income teens was due to coerced and unprotected sexual relations, sabotage of birth control arrangements and the general pressure to choose between having children and the continuation of the relationship
Impact of the Law on Service to Teens (pdf)
This issue brief discusses the challenges that laws at the state and federal level pose, how they can impact the way service providers serve teens and how teens respond to adult interventions. Suggested strategies are given for programs and agencies working to serve teen victims of abuse.
Interpersonal and Physical Dating Violence among Teens (pdf)
This Focus Report from the National Council on Crime and Delinquency finds that girls exposed to interpersonal violence are more likely to be exposed to other forms of violence, show a greater propensity for unsafe sexual activity, and a higher incidence of substance abuse and suicide than either boys or non-abused girls. The report also offers recommendations for primary prevention programs.
On the Road to Equality: Statewide Findings & Policy Recommendations (pdf)
"A supplement to the Status of Girls in Minnesota report by the Women’s Foundation of Minnesota in partnership with the Institute for Women’s Policy Research. Focus groups were conducted in 18 Minnesota communities that included African American, Latino, Native American, Asian American, LBT (Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender), and disabilities communities — to share key research findings and gain community input. This report captures the voices and policy recommendations of these communities, nonprofit and public leaders."
Physical Dating Violence Among High School Students - United States, 2003
A surveillance report in brief of physical dating violence among high school students and selected characteristics.
Physical Dating Violence Among High School Students --- United States, 2003
This article in brief addresses the incidence of physical dating violence among high school adolescents and introduces risk as well as protective factors.
Preventing and Responding to Teen Dating Violence
This special collection emphasizes collaborative and multilevel approaches to the prevention of, and response to, teen dating violence. It draws on the work of many organizations and organizes the resources on TDV prevention and responses by different populations.
Report Cards on Teen Dating Violence 2008 (pdf)
Break the Cycle issued the first-ever state-by-state report cards evaluating the level of legal protection each state offers young victims of domestic and dating violence. The report was issued in conjunction with National Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Week, February 4-8, 2008.
Safety Planning With Teens (pdf)
An issue brief created by Break the Cycle for those working with teens on safety planning issues.
Status of Girls in Illinois (pdf)
This report addresses a wide spectrum of areas affecting Illinois girls’ lives, including sexuality, violence, incarceration, substance abuse, health, education and physical fitness.
Full report is linked. Executive summary can be found at http://www.steansfamilyfoundation.org/pdf/SOG_Executive_Summar.pdf
"This 2008 report provides detailed information on the status of girls in Minnesota. It also serves as a tool for advocates, researchers, and policy makers in developing a set of interventions that will ensure girls’ economic, social, and political equality in the state. "
Technology and Teen Dating Violence (pdf)
This issue brief explains the ways technology can be used as tools of abuse. It offers tips to providers working on safety planning with teens experiencing abuse.
Teen Dating Violence: A Closer Look at Adolescent Romantic Relationships (pdf)
This article examines what we know and what we don’t know about the perpetrators and victims of teen dating violence. The authors explore key differences between adolescent and adult romantic relationships, including power dynamics, social skill development and peer influence.
Teen Dating Violence: A Review of Risk Factors and Prevention Efforts (pdf)
This article provides a critical review of the dating violence literature with respect to potential risk factors for both perpetrators and victims and examines the empirical research regarding the effectiveness of prevention and intervention programs targeting teen dating violence. The document also provides recommendations for future research and potential policy implications.
Teen Dating Violence: Information and Resources (pdf)
This is an information packet developed by the National Resource Center on Domestic Violence (NRCDV) as an introduction to the dynamics, prevalence and consequences of teen dating violence. The packet explores issues specific to teen dating violence, examines current provision of support services for teens and presents information about a variety of promising prevention /intervention strategies. The intent of packet contents is to examine some of the key dating violence issues currently facing teens and their advocates.
Telling It Like It Is: Teen Perspectives on Romantic Relationships (pdf)
This brief summarizes findings from focus groups that explored what teens have to say about romantic relationships. In general, the teens displayed an understanding of what a healthy teen relationship should look like, yet at the same time they expressed low expectations about their chances of experiencing that type of relationship themselves. Findings indicate that factors such as relationship violence and few adult role models who displayed healthy relationships contributed to these low expectations.
The Facts about Teen Dating Violence
This fact sheet provides current information and statistics on teen dating violence. Information includes a working definition, exploration of different forms of teen dating violence and legal protections for victims of teen dating violence.
The Facts On Teen Dating Violence (pdf)
A fact sheet created by FVPF on the prevalence and consequences of teen dating violence.
The Runaway & Homeless Youth and Relationship Violence Toolkit
This toolkit was developed by and for advocates in the runaway and homeless youth and domestic violence and sexual assault fields. Includes up to date research and resources as well as evaluation tools for programs providing services to youth.
The Sexual Victimization of College Women
This study contributes data to our understanding about the prevalence and nature of violence against women in the United States.
This booklet, designed by the West Virginia Bureau for Public Health, helps young adults understand the dynamics of healthy relationships; the signs of controlling relationships; the strategies for dealing with dating violence; and the resources available to end the cycle of violence.
Working with Young Men Who Batter: Current Strategies and New Directions
This article offers an overview of the recent juvenile batterer intervention programs. It identifies risk factors for teen dating violence perpetration as described by the literature and considers the utility of these findings, describes efforts to prevent re-offenses by juvenile perpetrators of domestic violence, discusses several shortcomings inherent in post-crisis intervention, and outlines current challenges within the field.
Younger Women at Great Risk of Intimate Partner Violence
Summary of the new report, Intimate Partner Violence and Age of Victim, released by the U.S. Department of Justice's Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS).
Weapons/Firearms use
Enforcing Domestic Violence Firearm Prohibitions: A Report on Promising Practices (pdf)
"This report highlights promising practices currently employed around the United States and in tribal jurisdictions that represent innovative approaches to enforcing domestic violence firearm prohibitions. It provides brief descriptions of programs that are located primarily in law enforcement agencies, prosecutors’ offices, courts, and probation departments."
New York City Domestic Violence Fatality Review Committee Annual Report 2008 (pdf)
This report describes family-related homicides that occurred in New York City between 2002 and 2007. Includes key findings, risk factors, and action steps in response to findings.
Web-Based Course
Addressing Elder Sexual Abuse: Developing a Community Response
This multimedia curriculum is created to promote community partnerships in combating elder sexual abuse. This is a joint project of the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape and the Pennsylvania Department of Aging and is funded bythe Pennsylvania Department of Aging and the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime & Delinquency.
Online Learning Tools on Violence Against Women
"This collection provides a sampling of available Online Learning Tools with subject matter related to violence against women prevention and intervention. The resources listed here can be used for the purposes of staff development (by individuals), or as tools for trainers (in groups).Many of the tools in this list offer Continuing Education Credits (CEUs) to fulfill licensure requirements for professionals in certain disciplines."
Welfare
"This report provides an analysis of patterns of human rights abuses against women who are exposed to the risk of or are already living with HIV in rural contexts of widespread poverty and unemployment."
Domestic Violence Against Women and Girls
"Highlights issues of abuse; femicide; forced prostitution; sexual abuse of children; sex-selective abortion, female infanticide and differential access to food and medical care; and, traditional and cultural practices that affect women's health and lives."
The author looks at domestic violence among women on welfare, the impact on children who are exposed to violence in the home, and methods to increase the stability of marriages.
Domestic Violence and Welfare Reform
From the September 1997, issue of Issue Notes by the Welfare Information Network. Reports how various states approach welfare reform for victims of domestic violence.
Girls Count: A Global Investment & Action Agenda
"This report describes why and how to initiate effective investments that will give adolescent girls in developing countries a full and equal chance for rewarding lives and livelihoods."
"This paper offers a research on DV and homelessness and trends in federal housing policy. A model for conducting a community assessment of local housing needs includes critical thinking questions on an organization’s capacity for housing advocacy."
This paper provides domestic violence advocates with information and strategies to promote the use of this housing program as a resource to assist battered women moving from welfare to work.
Poverty, Welfare and Battered Women: What Does the Research Tell Us?
This paper provides a brief summary of several very recent studies, focusing on the extent and impact of domestic violence among poor women and women on welfare. The overview concludes with implications of this research for the new TANF welfare program.
Risk Factors for Injury to Women from Domestic Violence
This study concluded that women at greatest risk for injury from domestic violence include those with male partners who abuse alcohol or use drugs, are unemployed or intermittently employed, have less than a high-school education, and are former husbands, estranged husbands, or former boyfriends of the women.
The Effects of Violence on Women's Employment
This is an abstract of a paper by Susan Lloyd of the Joint Center for Poverty Research of the Macarthur Foundation. The paper addresses whether women who are experiencing or have experienced domestic violence have lower employment rates than women who have not.
"This briefing paper addresses the needs of the women of the Gulf Coast region and uncovers the multiple disadvantages experienced by women affected by both hurricane Katrina and Rita."
This report is a summary and analysis of recent research studies which identify the extent of domestic violence among women receiving welfare that helps gauge the effects of violence on women's lives, their use of welfare, and on their ability to become economically self-sufficient.
Victims' Economic Security and Safety Act (pdf)
VESSA provides unpaid leave, eligibility for unemployment insurance, and protection from employment and insurance discrimination for victims of domestic and sexual violence.
Violence Against Women: The Role of Welfare Reform (pdf)
This research documents the prevalence, incidence, and negative impacts of domestic violence in a California welfare reform population.
Welfare and Domestic Violence Against Women: Lessons from Research
This VAWnet paper provides a succinct summary of welfare research, with a focus on the aspects that have implications for advocates and others who work with women who receive TANF (Temporary Assistance to Needy Families- the program established under PRWORA).
Welfare, Poverty, and Abused Women: New Research and its Implications (pdf)
"This summary of studies on domestic violence and TANF recipients explores their physical and mental health and work experience. It focuses on interference from their partners, barriers to work, the Family Violence Option, and the Child Support Exemption."
Youth
A Guide to Addressing Teen Dating Violence and Sexual Assault in a School Setting (pdf)
"This guide details schools' responsibility to take a leadership role to prevent and respond to teen dating and sexual violence in schools and in the community. While the information is specific to California, much can be applied nationally."
Addressing Gender-based Violence: UNFPA Strategy and Framework for Action (pdf)
This report, grounded in UNFPA's overarching goal of eliminating violence against women and girls, identifies particular areas where action is most urgently needed and proposes general policy frameworks for combating gender-based violence.
Balancing Obligations: Serving Teen Victims and Mandated Reporting of Statutory Rape (pdf)
This issue brief addresses the importance of preserving confidentiality while working with teen victims of abuse, at the same time fulfilling the service provider's legal duties.
Child Abuse and Neglect Fatalities: Statistics and Interventions (pdf)
"This 2008 brief report presents statistical information on maltreatment-related fatalities of children including who are the victims and perpetrators and how communities often respond. "
Child/Youth Confidentiality in Domestic Violence Programs (pdf)
This series was created through a collaboration of the Vermont Network Against Domestic and Sexual Violence, the Vermont Department for Children and Families and the Vermont Center for Crime Victim Services. Part IV addresses ideas to consider when making decisions about children's confidentiality issues, provides "best practices" for direct services and schools and discusses teen-specific service considerations.
"This manual is designed to help violence prevention organizations hire an empowerment evaluator who will assist them in building their evaluation capacity through a learn-by-doing process of evaluating their own strategies. It is for state and local leaders and staff members of organizations, coalitions, government agencies, and/or partnerships working to prevent sexual violence, intimate partner violence, youth violence, suicide, and/or child maltreatment."
Farsi Lifetime Spiral of Gender Violence (pdf)
Farsi translation of the Lifetime Spiral of Gender Violence. It locates a range of abuses and abusers in the lives of girls and women, revealing patterns of victimization and perpetration.
Helping Traumatized Children: Tips for Judges (pdf)
"This fact sheet for judges and other court personnel outlines the impact of trauma on children's development, beliefs, and behaviors. It is designed to help professionals in the juvenile justice and family court system become more effective in addressing the unique needs and challenges of the traumatized children and adolescents they work with."
Helping with Domestic Violence: Legal Barriers to Serving Teens in Illinois (pdf)
November 2000. Report based on focus groups and interviews with a total of 110 service providers and teen groups in 1999-2000 to determine why so few services were available for teen victims of domestic violence. This research isolated a variety of Illinois laws and regulations that served as barriers. Subsequent review of laws in other states found that on some issues Illinois laws were more helpful to minors, but that in several key instances Illinois laws are in need of change. This report focuses on legal barriers to providing services to teen victims of domestic violence, specifically those that affect access to transitional and long-term housing, orders of protection for domestic violence, and health and mental health services.
Human Rights Watch World Report 2010 (pdf)
"This 20th annual World Report summarizes human rights conditions in more than 90 countries and territories worldwide. It reflects extensive investigative work undertaken in 2009 by Human Rights Watch staff, usually in close partnership with human rights activists in the country in question."
Intersection of Child Abuse and Children's Exposure to Domestic Violence
"This review addresses research on the overlap in physical child abuse and domestic violence, the prediction of child outcomes, and resilience in children exposed to family violence."
It All Starts At Home: Male Adolescent Violence to Mothers (pdf)
This research examined male adolescents' abuse and violence to their sole parent mothers living in Australia. The research highlighted cultural, intra-generational and intergenerational issues relating to family violence, as well as the significant and lasting cumulative impact on the women, where the abuse was experienced from the women's ex-partners and their sons.
"This study tested the effectiveness of two court-based intervention programs in California that addressed juvenile domestic and family violence. Primary findings from the study indicated recidivism rates for offenders with prior records were remarkably consistent across sites, the specialized intervention programs in both Santa Clara and San Francisco counties had a deterrent effect on first-time offenders, and the greatest determinant of the probability of recidivism was background characteristics of the offender."
Psychological Abuse: A Discussion Paper (pdf)
"This paper is a review of research on psychological abuse in interpersonal and family relationships including in settings such as long-term care residences.The paper presents research findings on the personal, economic and health related costs of psychological abuse to the individual and to society, and briefly outlines legal recourses for victims. It concludes by exploring ways to recognize and address psychological abuse, while emphasizing the importance of developing holistic approaches "
Safety Planning With Teens (pdf)
An issue brief created by Break the Cycle for those working with teens on safety planning issues.
Status of Girls in Illinois (pdf)
This report addresses a wide spectrum of areas affecting Illinois girls’ lives, including sexuality, violence, incarceration, substance abuse, health, education and physical fitness.
Full report is linked. Executive summary can be found at http://www.steansfamilyfoundation.org/pdf/SOG_Executive_Summar.pdf
Teen Dating Violence: A Closer Look at Adolescent Romantic Relationships (pdf)
This article examines what we know and what we don’t know about the perpetrators and victims of teen dating violence. The authors explore key differences between adolescent and adult romantic relationships, including power dynamics, social skill development and peer influence.
"This report provides a summary of findings from a review of evidence concerning the effectiveness of universal school-based violence prevention programs."
The Effects of Childhood Stress on Health Across the Lifespan
"This document summarizes the available research on childhood stress and its long-term consequences. Of particular interest is the stress caused by child abuse, neglect, and repeated exposure to intimate partner violence."
The Epidemiology of Trauma and Trauma-Related Disorders in Children and Youth (pdf)
"This publication reviews general population studies, disaster research, child maltreatment studies, and special population studies that report the prevalence of PTSD in children, adolescents, and young adults. It includes a brief discussion of the cumulative adverse effects of traumatic stress experienced from infancy through adolescence."
The Facts about Domestic Violence
This fact sheet provides current information and statistics on domestic violence. Information includes a working definition, exploration of how different communities are affected by domestic violence and legal protections for victims of domestic violence.
The Facts about Teen Dating Violence
This fact sheet provides current information and statistics on teen dating violence. Information includes a working definition, exploration of different forms of teen dating violence and legal protections for victims of teen dating violence.
The Facts On Teen Dating Violence (pdf)
A fact sheet created by FVPF on the prevalence and consequences of teen dating violence.
The Sexual Victimization of College Women
This study contributes data to our understanding about the prevalence and nature of violence against women in the United States.
The Unclaimed Children Revisited, California Case Study (pdf)
"The purpose of the California Case Study is to identify, document, and analyze effective fiscal, infrastructural, and related policies that support research-informed practices for mental health services to children and adolescents in California."
UN study on Violence Against Children
"A press release on a new effort to provide a detailed global picture of the nature, extent and causes of violence against children, and propose clear recommendations for action to prevent and reduce such violence. The study focuses on violence against children in five settings: the home and family, schools and educational settings, other institutional settings (orphanages, children in conflict with the law), the community and on the streets, and work situations. "
Violence in the Lives of Children (pdf)
"This data brief from Child Trends reviews data on the types of violence experienced by U.S. children, including exposure to violence through media to abuse by parents and peers. Differences by age, gender, and race/ethnicity are discussed along with priorities for filling gaps in the data that is available on this topic."
Widening Our Lens (pdf)
"This brochure presents a comprehensive strategy to address the impact of child maltreatment, interpersonal, and family violence on youth."
Women and Health: Today’s Evidence, Tomorrow’s Agenda (pdf)
"This report reviews evidence on the health issues that particularly affect girls and women throughout their life course. This report uses currently available data to draw attention to the consequences and costs of failing to address health issues at appropriate points in their lives."
Working with Young Men Who Batter: Current Strategies and New Directions
This article offers an overview of the recent juvenile batterer intervention programs. It identifies risk factors for teen dating violence perpetration as described by the literature and considers the utility of these findings, describes efforts to prevent re-offenses by juvenile perpetrators of domestic violence, discusses several shortcomings inherent in post-crisis intervention, and outlines current challenges within the field.
Younger Women at Great Risk of Intimate Partner Violence
Summary of the new report, Intimate Partner Violence and Age of Victim, released by the U.S. Department of Justice's Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS).